


The Blue Bird and his Goddess

by RiceBullet



Series: Marinette x Robin(s) [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, MLBxDC, MariBat, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, References to Depression, Strangers to Lovers, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Tim Drake is Robin, reference to suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23204722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiceBullet/pseuds/RiceBullet
Summary: Dick Grayson is a talented young man.  An officer by day, a vigilante by night, his life is eventful, to say the least.But while his professional life seems to have a beautiful day ahead of it, his love life is a little chaotic.  While he's currently questioning his choices, he meets a charming young woman who owns a coffee house.And above all... Who's hiding a strange secret.[Dick x Marinette]
Relationships: Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson (Past), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Dick Grayson
Series: Marinette x Robin(s) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647781
Comments: 150
Kudos: 711





	1. The Blue Bird and the Guardian

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [L'Oiseau Bleu et sa Déesse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23190415) by [RiceBullet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiceBullet/pseuds/RiceBullet). 



> \- Disclaimer: Batman and Miraculous Ladybug do not belong to me.  
> \- The Miraculous are mentioned but will not have a central place in this fic. The Kwamis will be mostly absent.  
> \- Rely heavily on comics (especially Nightwing from 1996 and 2011) but before the Rebirth period (I don't understand their delirium with this reboot but never mind...) and not on animated films. And I'll tell you right now, I'm going to arrange the events to my liking. It won't all happen in the same order as in the comics.

Dick's life lately could be summed up in one word: complicated.

He and Barbara had broken up a few months ago, so he was in pretty bad mood. Their relationship had become utterly weird.

They simply avoided communicating with each other.

If he had to be sincere, he missed her voice very much.

To make things worse, he felt like he was going around in circles in this town. He worked hard as Nightwing to protect the town, but it was hard to feel the changes.

On the other hand, he had found a job that he really liked. Dick really loved his job as an officer.

-XxxX-

Nightwing was quietly patrolling the town - catching a few robbers, helping a few damsels in distress - he was confronted with something unusual. A group of people dressed entirely in black were jumping from roof to roof. They were all armed with edged weapons, such as swords, katanas... There were also knives on the front of their suits. The vigilant lurked in the shadows and followed them discreetly. The men stopped for a moment. The one at the head of the procession seemed to be talking to someone through an earpiece. At least that's what Nightwing deduced from seeing the man with a hand over his ear, as if he was listening to instructions.

It was with some horror that Nightwing recognized the mask these men were wearing: they were Talons.

There were a good fifteen of them. Although he felt confident that he was capable of facing them alone, it was prudent for him to wait a little while to get more information about their objectives. Their presence in Blüdhaven was unusual.

Batman's former protégé asked himself many questions: What were they doing there? What were they looking for? Why were there so many of them? Who was the target?

The Talons moved off again. Nightwing was about to follow them but was cut off by a knife that barely missed him. He felt a cut on his right arm. It wasn't very serious, just a scratch. However, it meant only one thing: he had been discovered.

He quickly turned around to dodge the blows and face the perpetrator of the attempted murder. The vigilante found himself in front of only one Talon. The Talon's mask was different from the others and his uniform was also more imposing, looking more like the armor of a samurai.

This Talon must have been the leader of the others. His hypothesis was confirmed when the Talon whistled, and the whole group that had left came back to surround him.

The hero smiled slightly nervous. He was clearly in a bad position.

An inevitable fight ensued. Of course, he had no trouble getting rid of the minions. However, the vigilant soon realized that the number of his opponents was increasing. The more enemies he neutralized, the more they appeared. Unfortunately, he was soon outnumbered. While he was concentrating on defending himself against the horde of owls that were coming at him, the leader of the group finally decided to attack. Taking advantage of the vigilante’s concentration on his henchmen, he stuck a knife in Nightwing's lower back.

The vigilant let out a scream of surprise, but still managed to neutralize his assailant by turning around abruptly and kicking him in the abdomen with a masterful kick. Another Talon managed to remove the blade, causing the wound to open further. The former Robin clenched his teeth so to avoid a scream.

He barely managed to create a gap in their formation to escape. Nightwing was in a very bad way. His abdominal wound was causing him to lose a lot of blood, not to mention multiple wounds here and there all over his body. The vigilante was out of breath, but he had no choice but to run. His only goal was to find a safe place to call for backup. Something he should have done immediately, by the way. He'd been foolish to follow them alone.

His pursuers followed him very closely, making any attempt to communicate with the Dark Knight impossible. How was it that Talons ended up in Blüdhaven?

As he was about to jump off the roof on which he was standing, he was hit by another knife that came to rest on his left shoulder. Nightwing lost his balance and fell into the alleyway between the two buildings. As he fell, he hit his head several times against the walls and landed heavily on a pile of garbage.

His body was very heavy. The vigilant could hear that his opponents were approaching, he had to move and quickly, but his traitor body seemed not to want to obey him.

"Oh my God! Are you all right?"

The voice took him by surprise. He thought he saw a silhouette.

A blurred vision, his head spinning, and sounds distorted as if he were underwater? It looked very much like the symptoms of a concussion.

But it was clearly not what he was most worried about.

This civilian was going to get caught in the crossfire!

"G-G-Go... H-Hurry, n-now..."

But instead of running away, the person quickly approached him and helped him get up.

"Follow me!"

She quickly dragged him to a door and opened it wide.

"Get inside quickly!"

The woman pushed him inside and closed the door behind her. Then the civilian turned off all the lights in record time and came back to stand beside him. As he was about to ask her what she was doing, the woman put her hand over her mouth and whispered a "Shhh!".

Then they heard footsteps and then noises of moving objects. Neither of them moved an inch. After several minutes when they could clearly hear the frustration of the men outside, there was a great silence. Neither of them dared to move.

Finally, the civilian decided to get up. Nightwing immediately held her by the arm. It was extremely dangerous, and the young woman had to stay out of sight. Yet her only reaction was to put a reassuring hand on his and whispered softly.

"Everything's fine, they're gone."

"Even if they were, I don't think it's safe for you to go out..."

"I wasn't going to go out, just turn on the light."

"I don't think that's a good idea either."

A silence followed his words. The person in front of him clearly seemed to be getting nervous.

"All right, so listen, we're in the stockroom. If we open the door on the other side of this room, we'll find ourselves in the kitchen. From there these people won't be able to see us... I also don't think it's safe for you to go out in your condition... So... If you agree, we'll go into the kitchen and then I can help you get better. Is that ok?"

Nightwing took the time to consider the young woman's words.

He could not distinguish it in the dark, but he did notice that it was not very large. Maybe she was a teenager.

Letting someone see him in this state of weakness outside his family was absolutely not a good idea. On the other hand, coming out now with the wounds he had would be suicidal.

And then... If this young woman wanted to hurt him, she would have done it already.

"Okay, Miss, I'm following you."

With all the kindness in the world, the young lady helped him up. They had to move slowly due to the lack of light, but they still managed to find the famous door leading to the kitchen. Once inside and the door leading to the carefully closed back room, the young lady turned on the light.

At first, he was completely blinded, but his eyes gradually got used to the light. His vision was still blurred, but he could still distinguish the figure in front of him.

"Oh God... you're badly hurt! Is that a knife in your arm? And... Oh no, there's too much blood! You're... you're... Please tell me you weren't just going to go home like that, mister Nightwing!"

The vigilant felt a growing uneasiness inside him. He did his best not to wince in front of the young woman, while the pain spread all over his body. He felt his muscles getting heavier and heavier.

"Do you know me?"

"Your face often appears in the newspaper so it's a little hard not to know who you are. You haven't answered my question..."

"Hm... Well..."

She sighed.

"Look, I can fix you, but I want you to promise me you'll never tell anyone about what you're going to see now."

"Why?"

"I don't want to get in trouble... Promise me that."

"Um... I promise?"

"Good. Now, don't move."

He looked at her intrigued for a moment.

She gently put her hand on his chest. Her hand gently lit up; a mark appeared on the back of her hand.

The vigilante widened his eyes, involuntarily.

Then Nightwing saw her join her hands and recite something in a language he never heard before. A reddish light emanated from her. He felt a warmth spreading from his chest to his abdomen and then the heat spread all over his body.

His wounds began to burn him. It was an unpleasant sensation.

When the light emanating from the young woman disappeared... The heat on his body disappeared immediately. To the amazement of the vigilante, all his wounds had disappeared, including the wound on his back.

"H-How?"

The lady smiles softly at him.

"Let's say I'm magic..."

Now that his vision was no longer blurred, Nightwing could clearly see the appearance of the young lady in front of him.

The civilian had crouched down to be at his level.

She was small, less than 5'6". The lady wore black jeans pants and had cat's head slippers on her feet and a white short-sleeved T-shirt with a ladybug in the middle. On top of her clothes their was a pale pink apron with a drawing of two cup cakes with a smiling face. Her bluish black hair was tied up in a ponytail.

Her skin was a very light color, and her face...

A real porcelain doll...

Her eyes were slightly slanting, blue enough to make the sky pale. A pretty fine nose, a pulpy pink mouth... Her cheeks were slightly pinkish as she smiled at him.

An adorable little angel.

He stood up while looking at her. She stood up as well, still smiling slightly.

Then her face looked a little more serious.

"Don't tell anyone, okay? In return, I promise I'll never say anything about you either."

"Yes, I promise and... Thank you... hmm..."

"Marinette! I'm Marinette Fu, nice to meet you mister Nightwing."

"Just Nightwing is enough. Pleased to meet you Miss Fu."

She laughed softly. That sound rang like sweet music to his ears.

"That's not all, miss, but I must leave you now."

"I understand... Be careful mist- I mean Nightwing..."

"I'm always careful!"

"Yes... That's obvious..."

Her smile became more sarcastic. She was making fun of him.

"I admit tonight may not be the best example... Anyway, thanks again."

Nightwing headed to the back room. The lady on his heels. He opened the door cautiously. After making sure he was alone, he walked out.

"Wait!"

He stopped and turned towards the young lady.

"If... if you ever get hurt again or need help I... Well, I mean, I... I don't mind if I... What I'm trying to say is that... Come back! I mean, don't! Yes! What I'm trying to say is that if you need help... you... you know where to find me... I... I live right above the store... and..... Anyway, I... Good night!"

Completely embarrassed, the young lady turned around and literally ran away to her shop before he could answer.

A slight, tender smile appeared on his lips.

_Adorable..._

He moved away quickly.

If the Talons were still around, staying in that place could put the lady in danger.

He spent the rest of the night searching for the Talons but failed to find them. It was as if they had completely disappeared from the face of the earth... So he decided not to call Batman to tell him about it yet.

And so it was that an extremely tired Dick Grayson from his sleepless night came into his job. He had been with the Blüdhaven Police Department for nearly three years... Although he had no regrets at all, there were days like that when he would have liked to stay in bed.

Especially since the accident the day before hadn't left his mind.

Tonight Nightwing would have to work overtime again...

He yawned to unhook his jaw for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the morning. His partner, Officer Amy Rohrbach, laughed.

"Gee, Grayson, sounds like you had a pretty eventful night."

"You have no idea..."

"It's almost noon. Let's get some lunch. I know a nice little cafe that opened three months ago near my house. It's on our way. The manager is a sweetheart, I'm sure you'll like it!"

"If you say so..."

Dick didn't pay the slightest attention to what his colleague was saying, he was too tired and above all too focused on the Talons story to give a damn.

They soon arrived at the famous place.

The dark-haired was dragged away by his colleague in front of a sign. There he could read " _Les petits fours de Mari_ " (Mari's little ovens). Was it a French café? As soon as they were inside, a voice that Dick recognized immediately came to greet them enthusiastically.

"Oh, hello officer Rohrbach! How are you?"

"Hello, little one, I'm doing great, hahaha! I brought you a new client. This is Richard Grayson, my partner."

"Nice to meet you, mister Grayson, I'm Marinette Fu. Welcome to my coffee house!"

The young officer stood speechless in front of the lady in front of him.

He was so tired that he didn't recognize the neighborhood in which he and his colleague were patrolling... He had immediately recognized the young lady in front of him.

This time she was wearing a dark blue dress with an apron hanging from her belt. She was wearing black loafers on her feet. Her hair was now tied in a bun on the top of her skull.

Her doll's face was lightly made up. A thin line of liner underlined her azure gaze, while a little gloss made her beautiful fleshy lips shine.

"Dick?"

"Huh?"

His partner looked at him strangely before sporting a mischievous smile. Dick blinked several times. That smile didn't bode well for him.

"You did not answer the lady..."

"I didn't what? Oh, uh, excuse me... I'm sorry. I... Nice to meet you. I'm Richard Grayson, but everyone calls me Dick..."

She smiles for only answer. Then turned to Amy again.

"If you'll just have a seat, I'll bring you the menu right away."

The young lady left immediately.

They sat down on a table near the kitchen, where they could see the entire place. It wasn't a very big space, but it was very cosy.

The decoration had been done with taste, although a little too girly for the young man's taste. There were drawings of cupcakes on the walls, rainbows and teddy bears. The benches on which they sat were very comfortable. The chairs were of a very elegant English type. Next to the counter was a display case with beautiful cupcakes. While he was lost in observing the decoration, the young manager returned with two menus in her hands.

They thanked her.

While her colleague looked at the menu, he allowed himself to watch Miss Fu work. Other customers had just arrived. She greeted them enthusiastically and settled them in. He watched her navigate the room.

Who would believe this little woman was a meta-human? And not just any meta-human, one who possessed one of the most interesting powers he'd ever seen. To have the ability to heal any wound no matter how bad it is is truly an extraordinary gift.

The kindness with which she seemed to serve her clients showed that she was someone with a good heart. Anyone would not help a wounded stranger in an alleyway, let alone knowing he was been chase.

He would have to find a way to thank her someday.

"Hmm... Dick, your dish is not going to be chosen on its own, you know..."

His attention turned again to his colleague who looked at him with a huge smile. Ah yeah, that's right, he wasn't alone.

Dick looked through the menu.

He had to be more careful, one could easily misinterpret his behavior...

How could his partner and friend imagine that the night before, this young lady had saved his life when he was in a bad position in front of a gang of murderous Talons?

They placed an order and ate quickly. The meal was really delicious, Miss Fu was a good cook.

As they were leaving, she gave them two pieces of cake for the road.

The two officers left the coffee house.

Dick couldn't help but take one last look back.

He'll be back in that place again...


	2. The one who had lost everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moral of the story: If you ever find a box with a creature in it, run away!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention:  
> -Mention of suicide in this chapter.

Marinette was alone again at home, a small apartment just above her coffee house. She was preparing some things that the young woman was going to give to the homeless people she had spotted a few days earlier not far from her home.

Since the young lady had arrived in Blüdhaven and had seen the distress of those living there, she had made it a point of honour to help all those in need in the neighbourhood.

The bluenette ended up sitting exhausted from all her efforts.

Everything was so much simpler when she was younger...

Marinette was a girl like any other. Then one day, destiny personified by a certain Wang Fu chose her to fight against the forces of evil. She embraced her destiny, body and soul, fighting tirelessly to protect the people of Paris against the terrible Hawk Moth with the help of her Kwami Tikki.

She had friends, a loving family and a passion for fashion design. A young lady who had everything to be happy.

But what we call destiny is not always tender, even with those who try to do good around them. And sometimes it happens to fate to be a huge harlot's girl.

Marinette's world deteriorated the day a certain Rossi decided to sprinkle her venom into the environment. She was just a 13-year-old girl, with her faults and above all with a misplaced obsession for the beautiful model of her middle school -yes, with time she refused to call this feeling "love"-.

The liar tried by all means to keep her away from her various friends, with more or less success. Some of her classmates believed the liar and moved away from her. Others, such as Luka and the Kitty section, Adrien, Nathaniel and Mark, stayed by her side. The class was divided into two groups: the pro-Lila and the pro-Marinette.

Then there were those like Alya who didn't know on which foot to dance. The Martinican refused to take sides, saying that she considered the two girls as her friends.

Soon, the conflict spread from their classroom to the whole school. The situation did not please the eurasian girl who began to wonder if she should have kept her mouth shut... But on the other hand, seeing her precious friends being manipulated like puppets hurt her so much...

She loved them from the bottom of her heart...

But all that remained was childish conflict.

Although her life as a schoolgirl was largely ruined, there were still some happy moments. At least... until that famous day.

One event, destroyed her life forever.

One day, as Marinette was walking home, she heard a noise coming from her parents' back room. Intrigued, the bluenette wanted to verify the origin of the noise.

It was a big mistake.

The last thing she remembered was feeling a horrible pain in the back of her head. When she woke up, she was bound and gagged in a place she couldn't identify...

"Marinette! Thank my Kwami, you're finally waking up!"

The little Kwami helped her get untied.

"Tikki, what happened?"

"It's Lila! She knocked you out and brought you here and tied you up... I don't know where she is right now, I've been staying with you."

"Lila's what? But... God, has she completely lost her mind?!"

"I'm not so sure she was sane in the first place, Marinette... I'm not even sure, that she actually has a soul at all."

The Kwami uttered her words with an unusual coldness.

However, Marinette could not stay in that place. The young girl managed to get out and realized that she had been locked up in the technical room in the park right next to her house... Without asking for the rest, the eurasian girl rushed to the bakery. The problem was that the closer she got, the more immense smoke appeared, as well as a horrible smell of smoke.

One realization struck her: the bakery was on fire!

In desperation, she tried to get inside, but pedestrians prevented her from doing so.

The firemen managed to stop the flames. They were able to save her mother, but not her father, who had been trapped in her room because he was looking for her, thinking she had come home as usual.

A few days passed when the two remaining Dupain-Cheng mourned Tom's disappearance. Alas, it was at that very moment that a certain Italian viper decided to act. Without warning, the police arrived at the home of Marinette's grandfather, Roland Dupain. They came to arrest her for **the murder of her father**.

An interrogation session followed.

Of course, she denied all of it. The man in front of her didn't believe her and for good reason, he showed her a video in which a person was seen behind her parents' store putting cash in garbage cans and throwing matches in them. The fire started immediately. To Marinette's great misfortune, this person was the spitting image of her...

That's when everything became clear in her mind, this person could only be Lila who had disguised herself to commit this odious act!

Of course, she tried to explain her version of events to the police, but they didn't believe her. Worse still... When her mother saw the video, she threw herself at Marinette and slapped her. The little woman probably would have done more if the cops hadn't stopped her. The eurasian girl was imprisoned.

The news spread around the city. And soon the newspapers were all over the city: A schoolgirl tried to murder her baker parents by setting fire to the bakery.

And then... no one stayed by her side. They were all convinced of her guilt.

Well, it wasn't completely true.

All except one person: **Master Fu**.

Alerted by the Kwami of creation, the man did his best to make her escape. He succeeded thanks to the help of Kaalki, the Kwami of teleportation...

Marinette cried over and over again.

Yet no Akuma came for her. Even when she was in prison, a butterfly never came near her.

The girl became a fugitive.

But still...

She didn't give up her ladybug Miraculous. Master Fu did nothing to dissuade her. Instead, the old man tried to cheer her up as much as he could.

Marinette wanted to prove her innocence at all costs.

So since she was condemned to remain Ladybug, the bluenette spent all her time trying to gather evidence.

How did Lila do it?

The answer came to her a few days later, through television.

_"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the main suspect in the terrible tragedy at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, has just been arrested by the police after a spectacular evasion. Her escapade will have lasted a week.”_

Marinette and Master Fu looked at each other confused.

_"Wait a minute, what's that! It's unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen. Suspect Marinette is currently executing the police officers escorting her."_

This time it was clear to the teenager. This thing was an akumatized or a sentimonster. Either way, the thing that looked like her wasn't human!

Ladybug went immediately to the scene. Chat Noir was not long in making an appearance. Together they fought the creature that turned out to be a sentimonster.

A creation of Mayura.

"So that means that Marinette is innocent... Right?"

"As you can see, it was a sentimonster Chat ..."

"I knew it... I knew Marinette couldn't have done it! She didn't do it! I knew it! I knew it!"

Cat Noir jumped up and down happily on the spot.

Her heart was warmed by the knowledge that her partner believed she was innocent.

Yet when she used her Miraculous Ladybug...

**Her father did not come back to life.**

Which meant one thing: it wasn't the sentimonster who had set fire to the bakery.

But this information, she was the only one to know it with Master Fu. Which meant only one thing, the person who had committed this atrocious act against her family could only be the one who had also locked her up in the technical room of the park...

**Her father's killer was Lila Rossi.**

The bluenette was convinced. 

Then why the hell did Mayura create a sentimonster in her own image?!

The young lady chose to put this question aside and went in her civil form to her grandfather's house, hoping that all misunderstandings had been cleared up.

And yet...

"You're not welcome here. Go away!"

"B-But mom, it wasn't me! Y-You did see that-"

"I DON'T CARE! IF YOU'D BEEN HOME LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN, TOM WOULD HAVE FOUND YOU AND TAKEN YOU OUT. HE STAYED TO PULL YOU OUT OF THE FLAMES, MARINETTE. **IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"**

Her mother threw her out.

She went back to Master Fu in tears. He and Tikki tried to comfort her.

Marinette continued her Ladybug work in spite of everything. But this time, she could afford the luxury of patrolling all day long. It was the only way for her not to think about the situation, not to give in to despair.

It took her another year to capture Hawk Moth and Mayura who turned out to be Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur. As the police were on their way to apprehend them, as Ladybug, they couldn't help but ask them why Mayura had created a Marinette Dupain-Cheng's sentimental monster ...

Nathalie Sancoeur answered.

"We wanted Miss Dupain-Cheng to be akumatized, so we made sure that someone created a situation that would allow it. However, this person went much too far... We never wanted to destroy this young girl's family."

"Who was that person?"

"Lila Rossi."

"I see..."

The young Italian girl was prosecuted for murder, but also as an accomplice of Hawk Moth. But the bluenette didn't give a damn about that. 

At this point in her life, the teenager simply felt a deep weariness.

She discovered that her lifelong companion, her kitten, was none other than Gabriel Agreste's son...

The news distressed him so much that he decided to put an end to his suffering.

**She lost her best friend, her first love.**

With nowhere else to go, no family, no friends, no goals, the teenager thought long and hard about doing the same.

Nevertheless, the Guardian decided to give her a new meaning in life. He managed to persuade her to follow him to the temple of Miraculous in Tibet. It took a long conversation with the Guardian and Tikki to convince her to follow them.

When she arrived in Tibet, the young girl trained hard to become an accomplished Guardian. She was a brilliant student, so brilliant that the former Great Guardian, the head of the temple Guardians, took her under his wing to be his disciple.

Everything indicated that the bluenette would succeed the Great Guardian.

The eurasian girl had already succeeded Master Fu. Now a greater destiny still awaited her.

**Seven years passed.**

Marinette was now 21 years old.

Fate decided to play a trick on her again.

Marinette was meditating when the Miraculous Temple was attacked by men in armor. Their armor looked strangely like an owl.

"The Court of Owls brings you their greetings and thanks you very much for the time you spent guarding these magical artifacts. The Court announces that they are relieving you of your duties and will take care of the jewels from now on."

The young woman ran as fast as she could to join her peers and defend the temple but was stopped by the Great Guardian who entrusted her with the box of the original miraculous artifacts, the box that Master Fu had entrusted to her.

"Take the Miraculous and flee as far away as possible!"

"It's out of the question! Great Guardian I can fight too!"

"No! Absolutely out of question! If the Miraculous fall into the hands of those tyrants... the world will be destroyed."

"That is one more reason for me to stay and help you!"

"Marinette, the Owl Court has already attacked all the other Miraculous Guardian Temples around the world. We are the last remaining guardians, my child."

"W-What?"

"They seek the miraculous of creation and destruction. In a way, when Wang made his mistake, he unwittingly saved us from an even more tragic fate."

He put his hand on Marinette's shoulders.

"Go my child, take these Miraculous and protect them, as your Master did before you."

The eurasian woman clutched the box tightly against her, then, with tears in her eyes, ran away. A last look back allowed her to see that the Great Guardian was fighting against the monsters - later she would learn that they were called Talons-.

The old man wanted to save her time.

Marinette wandered like a sorrowful soul for several days in the mountains before finding refuge in a small village. It was not long before the village was attacked by the monsters that had ravaged the Miraculous Temple.

**No matter where she went, they always found her.**

Marinette was convinced that she was going to die, just like her Master before her.

But the young woman knew that if the miraculous fell into the hands of those monsters...

If the poor Kwamis found themselves in the hands of the Owl Court, the world would be doomed.

In desperation, she took the Miraculous Box in her hands and removed all the jewels from it. She then drew the emblem of the Order of the Guardians on the floor using her own blood as paint. Then the bluenette placed them one by one in the circle on the floor and this time drew the emblem on the back of both hands and on the right of her flank.

She then recited an incantation in the original language of the guardians, which was normally forbidden: that of the sealing of miraculous.

**In other words, a spell that allowed a person to merge with the miraculous.**

The Great Master had taught her the technique but had specified that it was an act that was no longer practiced because of the cruelty of the process.

However, it was a matter of life and death. 

_"You who have been separated,_

_You who protect an errant world,_

_Revert to your primary form,_

_Reconnect to one another as equals,_

_I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Guardian of Miraculous Originals,_

_Pronounce, with these solemn words, my vows of fusion eternal._

_Sealing!”_

The bluenette felt her whole-body burn. Several lights came out of the Miraculous laying on the ground. The symbol of all the miraculous appeared and joined together to form a single element. Then, the jewel, which looked like a flower-shaped brooch, implanted itself on Marinette's right side. The pain was unbearable, the bluenette bit her arm until it bled so as not to scream.

The light finally disappeared. The seal’s mark that was on the ground had disappeared. The back of both hands of the young woman was bleeding profusely without stopping, it was the same for her right side. Her whole body was heavy. The world began to turn.

She finally screamed with all her might.

Then... nothing.

Marinette woke up several days later in the hospital.

She was told that she was one of the few survivors of a massive earthquake that had occurred in the region. The young woman was lucky to have been found by a rescue team, but unfortunately not everyone else in the area had been so lucky.

The eurasian woman began to cry desperately.

She was alone in the world again.

**Worst of all, she had now become the host of the nineteen Miraculous of the Zodiac.**

**Two years later.**

Marinette was putting the finishing touches on her decoration. In a few days, her coffee house " _Les petits fours de Mari_ " would open its doors and she absolutely wanted everything to be perfect.

It was here in Blüdhaven that the young woman had decided to make a fresh start.

**Back to the present**

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain coming from her right side.

She put her hand under her shirt and saw that she was bleeding.

The eurasian woman then remembered that she had indeed used her healing ability from the ladybug's miraculous to treat Blüdhaven's vigilant.

She had met Nightwing...

A resentful smile just drew on her lips.

It seemed she had a gift for attracting masked men...

The pain became more intense, forcing her to lie down for a while. It had been a long time since she had felt the pain of the seal's mark...

A few tears came from her azure eyes.


	3. New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain vigilante, comes in force in Marinette's life.

"Hi, Jeff, how are you tonight?"

"Oh, it's little Mari! Hey, guys! Mari's back!"

Several men approached. They were all happy to see the young lady again.

For several months now, Marinette had gotten into the habit of giving all her unsold goods to people in need who lived around her coffee shop. As a result, she knew the names of almost every homeless person in the neighborhood.

These men had initially been very suspicious of the young woman.

No one was that nice for free.

But through patience, Marinette had managed to gain their trust.

They ended up nicknaming her "Mari", or "Angel".

But that wasn't all.

Marinette was very involved in the life of her neighborhood. That's why she regularly donated her time to a homework help association for children in difficulty. She regularly read at the local library. The bluenette also gave free literacy classes to those who needed them.

In short, she was a young woman who was very devoted to her peers. 

She was drawn out of her daydream when Jeff, one of the homeless, called out to her.

"You know, kiddo, you shouldn't come around here anymore."

"Hm? Why shouldn't I?"

"Lately, a lot of people are getting mugged on the street."

"Really?"

"Oh... you mean that crazy guy with the baseball bat?"

Another man named "Jacky" approached them as well, while enjoying the meal Marinette had brought them. Soon the whole group gathered around her to tell her stories about this guy, nicknamed "the bat-crazy" by the locals.

"The crazy bastard even went after Joe the other day! He's still in the hospital!"

"I heard that a man waiting for his brother got beaten up the other day..."

"Really?! I heard a guy walking his two nieces got mugged in front of the kids!"

"That guy's crazy..."

"I heard that the kids said that the nutcase thought their uncle was a pedophile..."

Marinette listened silently to their conversation. 

The person who did this was clearly not in his right mind.

In any case, Marinette had a conviction.

"You boys are adorable, but I'm safe, I can take care of myself..."

"We can easily imagine, Miss Fu, we've all seen you in action... But you never know..."

"It's true, little Fu has a great kick!"

"That's right! You remember how she massacred that group of delinquents who tried to steal her!"

The bluenette's cheeks turned pinkish. At first, when she had just moved in, some young men from the neighborhood, who formed a kind of gang, approached her. They wanted to rob her and had disrespected her.

Marinette had put them all in their place.

After all, she was a Guardian. Each Guardian was given very strict combat training so that they could defend the Miraculous when needed.

The Guardians were also fighters.

And Marinette was no exception.

However, after these events, the young men completely changed their attitude towards her, even calling her "Big Sister".

They also regularly came to her coffee shop to chat. Some of these boys even had younger brothers and sisters who took tutoring classes with the young woman.

This being said, she was worried about this story of assault.

_It's high time I did my little investigation._

**Two weeks later.**

Every night now, Marinette would go out at random times in the neighborhood. She'd come on to Joe, the homeless guy who'd been savagely attacked by this "bat-crazy" creep. The bluenette knew she was looking for a white man with blond hair. He was tall and rather massive.

Alas, a lot of people could fit that description.

Unfortunately, it didn't produce any results. Marinette thought that it was probably her appearance that was the problem.

Then finally, one night, while on her way back to her homeless friends, the bluenette noticed that she was being followed.

_“The aura”_ of this stalker was disturbed. He was a man, with a violent personality. He wasn't an evil person, but he wasn't a "good person" either. Marinette concentrated more while continuing her walk. She could also feel that this man wanted to protect her as well.

It was extremely disturbing for the bluenette. Especially since she didn't know this person at all.

In those moments, Marinette would really like to be a telepath...

As usual, the young woman stayed for a good time with her street friends. Then she pretended to walk away.

Immediately, the man who had followed her started moving again.

Only, Marinette could feel that the "aura" wasn't going towards her, but rather towards her friends. Immediately, the man's aura darkened.

**The man was there to spill blood.**

But why was he there?!

What did Jeff and the others do to this guy?

Marinette didn't think straight and rushed to their rescue.

As she got closer, her heart missed a beat. She saw Jeff being hit by a blond man with a baseball bat. The others had obviously run away (and Marinette will never blame them for that).

Marinette felt anger overwhelming her.

" **LET HIM GO!"**

The guy, visibly surprised, turned around. Marinette made a phenomenal leap forward, using her speed, and gave him a masterful kick in the face.

The guy fell backwards.

Marinette turned towards Jeff. She quickly helped him up. Fortunately, his injuries didn't seem too serious. The eurasian woman saw the man get up, visibly enraged.

The young woman turned to her friend.

"Run, **NOW**!"

The man didn't ask for the rest and ran away.

Marinette faced the guy.

The man was bleeding profusely from his nose. Apparently, it was broken.

"Why? WHY'D YOU DO THAT?"

Marinette remained silent.

She didn't need to see this guy's aura to know he wanted to kill her.

He came at her with his bat.

Marinette gracefully dodged all his opponent's blows. Each time, she turned her opponent's strength against him. As a result, the guy ended up on the floor every time. This man must have known only "street fighting". He didn't really have a "fighting style". So obviously, when faced with a person who had mastered _Tai Chi_ like Marinette, the man was not at his advantage.

His anger only increased.

Marinette thought it was high time to put an end to this ridiculous confrontation. Nevertheless, she had spent several years of her life mastering the noble art of combat in a Shaolin temple. 

However, before she had time to get into position. The guy in front of her grabbed an object in his arm.

Marinette immediately recognized the aura of the newcomer.

Nightwing.

The vigilante lands gracefully in front of her.

Marinette watched as he knocked the guy out with a few blows.

A deep wave of irritation swept over her.

**Marinette was not a damsel in distress!**

The bluenette could perfectly defend herself!

Still...

When Nightwing rushed at her, the young woman didn't have the heart to blame him. She could feel the emotions of the young vigilante. He was sincerely worried about her... he had really been afraid for her.

It was confusing, they hardly knew each other...

"Are you all right, miss? You're not hurt?"

"I'm fine thanks... I think we should call an ambulance..."

"Why are you walking around at this hour alone? It's extremely dangerous."

"I was just visiting friends."

Nightwing didn't seem convinced. Marinette didn't want to mess with him, and he was just trying to be nice. So she took out her cell phone to call an ambulance.

She was then about to go out looking for the others. The bluenette wanted to make sure they were okay... God knows what that guy had done to them.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm going to find my friends. This guy tried to assault them; I want to make sure they're okay."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, I don't think you are."

"You-"

"My point is, it's not a good idea to have Nightwing escort a civilian... I don't want to be a target for your potential enemies. I think I've had my fill of adrenaline tonight..."

"Mmm..."

The young woman realized that she had perhaps been too cold to him. After all, he just wanted to help her, he was just a good person...

And he wasn't going to let go.

And that's how Marinette found out that this hero was stubborn...

She sighed.

Finally, she approached him and put a kiss on his cheek. He was obviously taken by surprise.

"I didn't want to be so dry. I'm sorry. Thank you for helping me, Nightwing."

He smiled at her.

"No problem, Miss Fu."

"Can you help me find my friends? I want to make sure they're not hurt badly. They're good people."

Unsurprisingly, the young man agreed immediately.

To Marinette's delight, none of the homeless had been seriously injured.

-XxxX-

Despite the events, Marinette continued to come to see her friends on the streets.

The only difference:

**Marinette had her own stalker…**

Since Blüdhaven's vigilante had helped her, Marinette had realized that he regularly followed her on her little night outings.

He had never bothered her. But it was still extremely disturbing.

The only reason the young woman had not yet reacted was that she knew he wanted to protect her.

Indeed, since she had become the host of the Miraculous, certain side effects had appeared. For example, she was able to see people's "aura". She knew immediately whether a person had good or bad intentions. She also knew when a person was feeling good or bad. This was probably the influence of the Miraculous of Duusu and Nooruuu. And unfortunately, it was not an ability that she could "activate" or " disactivate" as she wished. It was a power that was active all the time. It had been very useful to her until now to avoid danger, but it also forced her to see things she didn't want to see.

**That was also why Marinette** **knew the identity of the vigilante**.

She had been extremely surprised to see "Nightwing" again at her café. The bluenette was certain that the young man had recognized her as well. Nevertheless, he didn't seem to suspect that she knew who he was...

Richard John Grayson.

His soul was that of a person with a big heart, but who had suffered a lot of painful loss. This man was heartbroken... He was also someone who put his heart and soul into everything he did. A young man who put others before himself. One of the few people who still had his childlike soul inside of him.

He was a good person.

**And it was precisely for that reason... that it was best not to let him get too close.**

And yet...

One evening he appeared at her window completely disturbed. He was wounded, and most of all, completely disoriented. She saw that his emotions were going in all directions, but above all he seemed _completely afraid_.

Immediately, Marinette helped him get up and put him on the couch.

She used her healing power on the young man.

**He fell asleep on her couch.**

The guy was completely unconscious!

What's the idea of letting your guard down over a stranger?!

The bluenette went to get a blanket and covered him with it.

She let him sleep it off.

Marinette stayed up all night at his bedside.

_This scene is not real... I have a vigilante in my living room sleeping like a baby... When did my life start looking like this?_

-XxxX-

In a small apartment in Blüdhaven.

A young vigilante was shirtless in front of an angry eurasian lady.

"Nightwing... I'm seriously starting to wonder if you're not just _an idiot_! **THREE TIMES** **in one week**! How can you be so oblivious?!"

Marinette, was giving Nightwing a serious lecture.

**Again.**

For three months now, the young vigilante had been visiting Marinette regularly. The young woman had become his official "nurse".

Marinette was now convinced…

**She had adopted a kid.**


	4. The Curse of the Miraculous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to learn what went on behind the scenes of this story. Danger lurks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains references to depression and suicide. NOTHING GRAPHICS, no descriptions.
> 
> I warn, this chapter is sad.

Dick woke up slowly. His bed seemed unusually comfortable. His blanket was particularly soft...

There was a pleasant sweet smell.

It made him hungry.

The young vigilante decided to open his eyes. He then stood up in a good way, not recognizing the place he was in at all. His reflex was to put his hand on his face. He was relieved to see that his mask was still on.

He remembered being in an alley and... Scarecrow!

This guy had let him breathe his damn gas!

"Are you all right?"

His attention immediately turned to the source of the voice.

Seeing who it was, his confusion only increased.

"Nightwing? Is everything all right?"

"I'm... Yeah. How did you-"

"Well, you came in through my living room window."

"What?! I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's all right. I told you my door was open if you ever needed help. And between you and me, you did the right thing... There was some kind of poison in your blood."

She approached him gently.

"How did you feel?"

"I'm fine."

"Any nausea? Any headache?"

"No, nothing like that."

"That's good. You had a fever, so I'm reassured."

She's smiling at him.

He could only smile back at her.

"Thank you very much, Miss Fu."

"No problem. After all the trouble you’ve got just to protect this town, the least I can do is to heal those nasty war wounds, hm?"

She says those words with a little teasing smile, and then she winks. He laughs lightly, enjoying her teasing.

"Can I get you some coffee?"

Dick looked out the window for a moment. It was still dark. A little snack wouldn't hurt anyone, would it?

He accepted her proposal.

Miss Fu didn't ask him any questions about why he came. Nor did she ask him anything about his life of vigilance. In fact, she spent most of her time telling him amusing anecdotes about her clients, or about some of her students.

Dick laughed heartily several times at some of the anecdotes.

Eventually he had to leave. He thanked her one last time, both for helping him and for the snack.

"No problem, Nightwing. Come back anytime, I'll be here to treat you if you need me."

That Miss Fu was truly an exceptional young woman. 

**Time passed.**

As a civilian, Dick began to spend more and more time at the café. Marinette was really funny and sweet and charming. The young man really enjoyed her company.

Marinette loved to tease him.

He found himself laughing several times at her clumsiness.

It had even become a game between them: to know how long Marinette would last without breaking any dishes or spilling something.

As Nightwing, he was looking for the slightest excuse to come and visit her. She always treated him kindly. Even if sometimes she acted like a mother who scolded her child.

He didn't care. If _she_ was the mother, _he might play the child once in a while_.

Lately, he felt less lonely.

And it was thanks to her.

**He was happy to have a new friend.**

-XxxX-

Dick ate his cereal as usual with the television on a news channel. He was about to leave for the police station when a news caught his attention.

_"An unexplained phenomenon occurred this morning around 6:00 a.m. An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale was recorded less than 100 kilometres off the Japanese coast, causing the near-complete destruction of part of Honshu's coast. Unfortunately the earthquake also caused a Tsunami. The wave should have destroyed a large part of the Japanese coastline. Fortunately, a mysterious force prevented this tragedy from happening. We have some images from several amateur videos of people who managed to film the scene with their cell-phones."_

The footage was blurred, but you could see a kind of red light coming through the streets at full speed and repairing absolutely all the damage in its path.

Another video showed how the huge wave stopped dead in the middle of the ocean and then mysteriously backed up and disappeared completely.

Yet another video showed how several people were mysteriously healed of their wounds.

Dick frowned.

This was not at all normal. Nevertheless, whoever or whatever accomplished this feat deserves to be congratulated. It wasn't every day - except maybe if your name was Clark Kent - that someone could save an entire country. Even several countries, because with an earthquake of this magnitude, there was no doubt that other surrounding continents would have to deal with tsunamis.

The young man left for work and didn't think about it for the rest of the day.

-XxxX-

While some tried to understand what had just happened, lurking in the shadows, men and women gathered in secret.

They watched the footage that had been filmed by journalists in helicopters.

"She finally reappeared. Call the Master and start preparations. The dewclaws must be ready before he arrives."

They were all excited.

Finally, the last Guardian had made her big comeback. This could only mean one thing: The Owl Court would finally get the jewels they were entitled to.

**At the same time, at the Watchtower...**

Diana was worried. For just over nine years now, the Amazon had been trying in vain to find the trail of the Miraculous. Ever since that incident in Paris.

Nine years ago, the League discovered that Paris was in the grip of a terrorist. Alas, the French government refused their help, explaining that they already had heroes to protect them. Diana offered to infiltrate the city of Paris. She loved this place and had lived there for a few years.

What she saw horrified her greatly.

The so-called "heroes" were children! Worst of all, they were Miraculous holders. These jewels were well known to the Amazon people, her mother having been a Ladybug.

Who was the Guardian of these jewels? How could this person be so irresponsible as to entrust two of the most powerful forces in existence to kids?!

She wanted to help those children so badly... It was cruel to entrust the lives of so many people to such young people. They shouldn't have that kind of pressure on their shoulders!

She informed the League immediately. When they heard the news, several members expressed their anger. The most virulent was Aquaman.

"What the hell is the Miraculous Guardian doing?! Doesn't he know these artifacts represent the balance of the world? It's irresponsible to give them to babies who haven't even left their beds!"

"World balance? What do you mean?"

"Batman, the Miraculous are artifacts shaped like jewels... They represent concepts, emotions, ideas that have taken on living form. The creatures thus formed are called Kwamis. They're a type of god. They have existed since the beginning of the universe. Alas, they had no physical form, they were metaphysical creatures. Then one day, a powerful mage created magical artifacts in the form of jewels for these creatures to interact with other life forms. Once worn, these jewels grant power to their holders. These jewels are extremely important, they are the balance of the world. If they disappear then the reality we know will cease to exist."

"Diana is right. And the two most important concepts, which are creation and destruction, are represented by the ladybug's jewel and the cat's ring, which are now in children's hands!"

"Arthur, I'm surprised you know so much about these jewels..."

"Well, my dear Diana, the destruction of Atlantis is the work of the cat of destruction. I might as well say right now, it was a bloodbath."

"I see... My mother, on the other hand, was the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, Hippolyta. Since then, we have in our land a temple of the Miraculous, in their honor."

Silence fell in the hall. Everyone trying to assimilate the information that had just been passed on to them.

"Hmm... I have heard about the Miraculous... There is a temple dedicated to them at Kahndaq. The magician who created the jewels was the younger brother of the magician Mamaragan."

That's how Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Captain Marvel explained in detail everything they knew about the Miraculous. This also included the role of the Guardians.

"This famous terrorist in Paris is actually a Miraculous holder. From my observations, it would appear to be the Miraculous of transmission."

Everyone was unanimous at the time. It was necessary at all costs to come to the aid of the young heroes of Paris, and above all to recover these jewels and put them in a safe place.

Alas, everything did not go as planned.

The French government was very clear that they did not want the Justice League to intervene on their territory. If they ever did, then the country would cut all ties with the United States, taking this intervention as an attempt to conquer France. Faced with such a declaration, the US government began to put pressure on the League not to intervene and let France manage its crisis alone.

Batman then looked for a way to divert this order. 

However, the League was faced with other important problems. They had no choice but to put the "Paris case" aside. 

**If only they had known.**

Almost a year later, the League learned that the terrorist had been apprehended. A race against time began. The Guardian and his young protégés had to be found before the French government could get its hands on them. Because we should not be fooled: if the Government had insisted so much on keeping the heroes away, it was simply because the Government wanted to get their hands on these jewels. Such an arsenal at their disposal was a formidable weapon of war.

There was every indication that the Government already knew the identity of the young heroes. They were not the only ones. Batman, too, had been able to identify these young heroes... They were a certain Marinette Dupain-Cheng and a boy named Adrien Agreste.

Alas...

**Tragedies followed one another.**

The terrorist was none other than the boy's father. The poor kid couldn't take the news and chose to take his own life.

As for the young heroine... she chose to follow her companion in death.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The poor kid had been harassed following the incident with her father, which unfortunately cost her she's own life. Her mother had then abandoned her. The teenage girl had nevertheless held her ground by continuing her role as Ladybug, but the death of her companion was undoubtedly the final blow.

Her grandfather, on hearing the news, let himself die of grief. He died a few weeks later after the discovery of the body of Marinette. The cause of the old man's death remained unknown.

It would then seem that the teenage girl's mother, having learned what had happened, fell into a deep depression. As always, regrets always come too late. She disappeared the following year after taking too much medication.

To make things worse, the terrorist who had learned what had happened to his son succumbed in the middle of the court from a devastating and fatal heart attack. The man's secretary, who had been his accomplice, chose to follow her boss in death.

The biggest irony of all? Tom Dupain's murderer, Lila Rossi, was the only one to escape the massacre alive. She was given a discharge. Karma caught up with her pretty quickly. A few months later, she was diagnosed with throat cancer. The teenager went mute.

This story really caused a massacre.

The journalists were overjoyed, calling it the "Curse of the Miraculous".

The Guardian remained unidentified.

Diana felt anger.

This guy was responsible for the carnage. That's what happens when you give children such a heavy burden to bear...

Those poor babies... they should never have ended up like that... it was terribly unfair.

**Time passed.**

The Guardian was never found, despite the League's best efforts to find him.

**Seven years after Paris incident.**

**A global earthquake** **occurred**. While conducting the investigation, the JL came across a massacre. On top of a Tibetan mountain, the heroes found a temple where all the inhabitants were massacred.

Diana and Billy recognized the place as a Guardian Temple.

Only the Great Guardian was still alive. He told them that the Miraculous were stolen by Owl men. The only box that hadn't been looted was the **Miracle Box**.

The Great Guardian's apprentice had managed to escape and take it with him.

Unfortunately, the old man succumbed to his wounds.

It was a disaster! The Miraculous were not to fall into the wrong hands!

And now the Owl Court had several Miraculous boxes in their possession. This also meant that there was only one Guardian left alive and he was lost in the wild...

Action had to be taken immediately. If the Owl Court ever managed to get its hands on the last box, then it would have the opportunity to use the Miraculous of creation and destruction to make a wish, which would inevitably lead to the Apocalypse.

Since this involved the Court of the Owls, Batman was given the difficult task of tracking down the criminals, while Wonder Woman and Aquaman had to track down the Guardian. Alas, neither of them ever found any trace of this young man.

For his part, Batman had the unpleasant surprise to find that someone always came before him. He concluded that the young Guardian may have been seeking revenge for his peers. However, Batman had not yet fallen upon any victim, this young Guardian had never killed. He tried to use other magicians like Zatanna or Constantine, but neither of them were able to find this mysterious apprentice Guardian.

The only one who managed to get close to him was Doctor Fate. They then learned that the apprentice in question was a young lady. According to Fate, she had to be left alone because the Miraculous were in good hands.

" _This young person is a Goddess_. Let her do her job as the Earth Guardian. The Miraculous could not fall into better hands. Your intervention will only hinder her work."

"Fate, what you're saying is ridiculous. We can't leave such _dangerous weapons_ in the hands of a little girl."

"Batman, your statement proves your arrogance. This young person has been the Guardian for several years now. Never before has she used the Miraculous to do evil, and believe me, reasons to do so, this young woman has plenty of them."

Dr. Fate later refused to give them any information about this young Guardian. He left without asking for the rest.

Of course, Batman didn't hear it that way. Leaving such powers in the hands of a young child was out of the question. **It was too dangerous.**

But even he had never been able to find out anything about this girl...

And now, **two years** after the Guardians were murdered, this "entity" appeared out of nowhere to save a country? What's it all about? There had been many disasters in recent years. Why now? Why this country and not another? Was it the work of the famous " _Miraculous Goddess_ "?

Diana had recognized this ability as the power of Tikki, the Kwami of Creation. The power was called the " _Miraculous Ladybug_ ". This meant that this person was the holder of the ladybug Miraculous. 

Did this announce a catastrophe to come?

The Amazon Princess sighed.

"So, do you think it was _her_?"

"I don't know, Barry. It's still too early to make any assertions. Let's wait for Batman, maybe he'll have more answers."

-XxxX-

Marinette was in the middle of baking a cake when she received a visit. She knew perfectly well why her mysterious ally was coming to see her.

" _Monsieur_ Fate, it's been a long time."

"Dear Goddess, I wish it could have stayed that way."

"What can I do for you, _Monsieur_ Fate?"

"The Justice League is after you."

"Mmm... They'll have to wait in line, they're not the only ones."

"I can only recommend the highest caution."

"Thank you, my friend. But believe me... no one knows that better than I do. Thank you for taking the trouble to come and warn me. I'll be careful."

Satisfied with her answer, the man left the place.

Marinette sighed.

_Obviously, I would never have peace..._

Just minutes after Dr. Fate left, Nightwing arrived in a hurry.

He hadn't been back to see her in a while. She had been seeing him quite regularly as Officer Dick Grayson.

He wasn't alone, he had a wounded boy in his arms: Robin. 


	5. The Wounded Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain bird, injured both physically and mentally, finds refuge with a mysterious goddess with amazing power.  
> The Owl lurks in the shadows, yet it waits for it time... Without knowing that the Goddess has already planned her divine punishment.

Dick was exhausted.

He hadn't stopped for almost three weeks.

The Court of Owls had decided to make a mass attack. After several years of lurking in the shadows, the court was moving on to attack. Talons had been spotted in several countries. Cities like Metropolis, Gotham, Star City, New York, San Francisco, were being infested night after night by Talons.

And unfortunately, Blüdhaven was not spared.

These creatures attacked anything that moved **without distinction.**

During the day, all kinds of criminals would attack civilians to eliminate them. As if that wasn't enough, people suddenly went crazy and attacked for no apparent reason.

The phenomenon affected people regardless of age or gender.

Once captured, these people could not remember anything.

As an officer, Dick found himself working in the field every day. By nightfall, Nightwing didn't have a minute to himself.

He didn't have an hour off.

Dick found himself working practically around the clock.

The young man was eager to ask for help, but unfortunately no one was available. Everybody was trying to contain this madness that was going on everywhere.

And when he saw that even someone like Superman was overwhelmed...

To make things worse, Dick had cut off all contact with his former mentor (this included not answering Alfred's calls) and hadn't spoken to Barbara since they broke up. It might sound childish... And it certainly was, but the wound in his heart was still too fresh. Just hearing her voice gave him chills.

He still loved Barbara deeply, and he wasn't sure if he could ever get her out of his heart. Dick felt guilty about their breakup, but on the other hand... he was angry with her.

Barbara reproached him to be always anchored in the past, to always speak about "Batgirl" and "Robin". She insisted on the fact that she was not "Batgirl" anymore, she was now "Oracle". She wanted to move forward into the future, while he clung to an image, he had forged of her.

Dick, on the other hand, felt more like Barbara was the one who was "stuck" in the past, and he didn't blame her for that at all. She was always looking at what she was and what she wasn't anymore. No matter how much he told her that it didn't matter to him, it was like talking to a wall.

He loved her the way she was _now._

She thought he loved her the way she _used to be._

The lack of communication, the unsaid, the misunderstandings.

All of this added up and ended their relationship.

To put it out of his mind, he had concentrated on his work as an officer, on his duty as Nightwing.

He was rather lonely. But what could he do about it?

Then recently... Things had begun to change a little.

Dick had made a new friend.

Marinette was a powerful healer who had the ability to heal almost any wound. Their meeting had happened by pure coincidence, but he felt happy that fate had put the young lady in his path.

It was as if he had an improved "Leslie" by his side.

The bluenette never asked him any personal questions, never asked him anything about his Nightwing activity, nor about his civilian identity. He appreciated her very much for that.

The bluenette was funny, intelligent, generous, very kind, always smiling. She really had her heart on her sleeve.

He enjoyed her company as Nightwing, and he enjoyed her company even more as Dick Grayson.

A little cheerfulness and smiling in this crazy shitty world were not a bad thing.

It reminded him of _why_ he had become _Nightwing._

**Because he wanted to protect people like her.**

_Hopefully, I might finally get to see Marinette... I wouldn't say no to an apple pie or a strawberry bush... Maybe some macaroons..._

This idea made him smile.

However, he had an unexpected visit.

“Good evening, Nightwing.”

“Robin? What are you doing here?”

“I'm doing fine, thanks, and you?”

“Excuse me, Rob, I'm a little on edge with everything going on. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, as you can see. And to answer your first question, Alfred sent me. Since you haven't returned his calls for a while and Batman's too busy with Gotham, I was sent to scout.”

“Mmm.”

The two of them were able to chat for a short while. However, screams began to be heard.

It was time to get back to work.

Alas, Dick had underestimated the Talons' numbers.

More importantly, he hadn't foreseen that “ _the Terminator”_ was on the side of these monsters.

-XxxX-

Marinette was displaying the calmest expression possible.

**Inside, the young woman was panicking.**

Nightwing was injured and bleeding profusely in several places. His suit was torn, revealing several parts of his body, which was beginning to take on an abnormally purple color.

He had several scratches on his face.

His nose was probably broken. His breathing was getting harder and harder, he probably also had at least one broken rib.

The boy in his arms was not in a better condition, his suit was torn in places, he was bleeding heavily from his chest.

He had probably been stabbed or shot several times.

“Holy _kwami_! What happened to that boy?! Is it... is it Robin?! What about you? Why you... By all the Kwamis...”

“I-”

“NO! Don't tell me!... It's... It's better if I don't know anything... Put him on the couch.”

Marinette examined Robin quickly.

The boy was breathing with difficulty.

**It was not good at all!**

Nightwing should have taken the boy to **a hospital** , not to **her house!**

Then, thinking about her own reflection, Marinette thought she was stupid. Nightwing couldn't take Robin to the hospital. And even if he did, the boy's identity would have been compromised...

The young woman was not a nurse or a doctor at all. She had only basic knowledge of medicine, and more importantly, she only knew about alternative medicine, which would be of no use to her in this case.

“Marinette, I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go...”

“We'll talk later. Right now, I need to focus.”

Marinette clapped her hands together. She concentrated on invoking the two Miraculous that seemed useful to her at that moment. The bluenette recited the incantation in the original language of the Guardians.

“<I invoke the power of the Miraculous. You who are one, answer my call. Bring out Creation and Repetition>.”

On Marinette's right wrist appeared the symbol of ladybug, while on her left wrist appeared the symbol of the snake. A red and turquoise light emanated from her.

The young woman could feel all the power of the two Miraculous circulating in her body.

All she had to do was pray that her healing ability, which she had acquired from the guardians, combined with the two miraculous could help her save the boy.

The Miraculous of Creation would help her create new cells, which she would combine with her healing power. The Miraculous of the Snake was simply a security.

**It took Marinette no less than sixty uses of the Snake Miraculous to prevent Robin's death.**

The young woman was exhausted, but relieved.

The boy was saved.

“I think he's safe now.”

She saw how Nightwing fell to the ground, relieved.

“Marinette... I don't know how to thank you. If it wasn't for you...”

_If it wasn't for me, you would have taken him to the hospital. Just like any normal person. You're the only one who can take a dying person to a woman you barely know, you moron!_

Marinette was relieved, but she was desperate to finish off that idiot Nightwing. It was probably her fault. She gave him a bad habit! She probably shouldn't have healed him _every time_ he had a wound.

**It had made him reckless.**

On the other hand...

She couldn't help but be _flattered._ Nightwing _trusted her_. No one had shown such blind trust in her _since_.................................... **_a certain kitten._**

Marinette suddenly felt a violent pain in her ribs where the seal mark was.

**It was painful.**

This pain came whenever she "abused" her powers. In other words, when she went beyond her limits. It also happened when she was too tired.

No one should use too many Miraculous at the same time, because it would give too much power and could drive the user completely crazy. But she had several Miraculous **in her** _around the clock_.

Marinette had never gone crazy, because she had a strong body and a strong mind. However, there were **physical repercussions**. The bluenette had violent pain, headaches, nosebleeds, eye bleeds, and sometimes she coughed up blood.

**This was her punishment. The price for merging and sealing all the Miraculous.**

She could feel her head hurting.

It wasn't good... she had to lie down for at least half a day.

And yet...

The bluenette took one look at Nightwing.

_I can't leave him like this..._

-XxxX-

Marinette looked at Dick with a sad little smile on her face.

“I'm sorry Wing, I couldn't heal all your wounds like I usually do... I almost emptied my reserves of energy...”

“Marinette, you don't have to apologize for anything. I should be the one apologizing, I should never have gotten you involved in this in the first place, I-”

“Damn it Wing, you really are a _Drama Queen_...”

“Uh?!”

“I said I couldn't use my magic to heal you _completely,_ not that I _couldn't heal you_ , you moron.”

Dick didn't know how to react to the young woman who looked at him amused.

Despite his protests, Marinette helped him heal his wounds. He found himself practically in his underwear, having only his mask to hide his identity. She began by using her "magic" on him to heal the most serious wounds. Then, for the rest of his injuries, she used medicinal herbs and "magic creams" she made herself.

It wasn't particularly pleasant...

“Who would have thought that the great Nightwing, terror of criminals, and ladies' man, was actually such a _crybaby_...”

Dick grimaced because of the pain, but still answered in the same teasing tone as the young woman.

“This lack of empathy leaves me speechless.”

“Poor little thing... _Auntie Mari_ , go take care of those ugly _boo-boos_."

He couldn't help but let out a slight laugh.

After that disastrous evening, it did him good to just let off some stress.

“There, it's done!”

Marinette had just finished putting cream on his back.

Dick suddenly turned around. The young man wanted to thank her. However, he hadn't really noticed that the bluenette was really close to him.

Their faces found themselves a few millimeters apart.

He could see her face very closely.

Her face was truly like a doll's face. Her skin very white, her eyes very light blue, her lips fleshy.

He could feel her breath and smell her sweet perfume.

“Thank you...”

Marinette had opened her eyes slightly, surprised. Then she moved away from him gently, winking at him. 

“You're welcome, _Bluebird_.”

Dick smiled.

“Wing, listen, I think you and your friend _Baby Bird_ should stay here tonight.”

“…”

“Tomorrow, exceptionally, I wouldn't open the boutique. There's a rest area at the back of it, I'll stay there, so you two can rest in peace.”

“Marinette, I can't accept this.”

“Oh... It's a good thing I wasn't asking your opinion in this case.”

“Mmmmmmmmmmmm.”

She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Wing, you are exhausted ... some of your wounds are infected. You have fever and can barely stand. It's a miracle you didn't get tetanus... I understand your mission is important to you, but it won't do anyone any good if _you die in the field_.”

“…”

Slowly, she moved her hand towards his face, then touched his head, always in a slow movement. Then, passed her hand through his hair kindly.

He let her do it.

“I won't make you stay if you don't want to.”

“Mmm... I...”

Dick looked at the young woman in front of him. He was certain that she was a respectable, kind and helpful lady.

But could he trust her?

Staying so long could be particularly dangerous for both him and her... On the other hand, if she wanted to hurt him, she would have done so long ago. Marinette had just saved Tim's life and healed him, without asking for anything in return.

If Batman had been there, he would have reprimanded him for going to a civilian's house while he was being chased by Talons. And even if B. had allowed himself to be treated, he would have left as soon as she finished healing him.

Then it was probably lucky he wasn't Batman, wasn't it?

He might regret it later, but Dick decided to trust the young woman...

It was just in his nature.

“All right... But we'll leave at dawn...”

She smiles.

“It's up to you, I'm not coming back here until tonight.”

“Mmm.”

She got up slowly and walked down the hallway to the apartment. She came back a few moments later, with a box in her hand and blankets over the box.

“Normally, these are clothes I thought I would give to the neighborhood association, but you can use them to leave. I doubt that Nightwing and Robin can be seen in broad daylight...”

“It'll be perfect. Thank you, Marinette.”

She just nodded and left the room.

Then he heard the sound of the door closing.

Dick got up somehow and took the two blankets Marinette had left. He covered Tim first. Then he took a pillow and put it on the floor. The carpet in Marinette's living room was particularly soft and pleasant.

He could at least take a little nap, couldn't he?

The young man closed his eyes for a moment.

He just needed to relax his muscles for a short while.

-XxxX-

“Nightwing! Nightwing! Hey! Dick, wake up!”

“Hmmmmm?”

Dick painfully opened his eyes. He blinked his eyelids a few times, and then slowly lifted himself up.

His body was completely relaxed.

He had slept particularly well and felt more rested than ever. It was as if all the fatigue he had accumulated over the past few days had completely disappeared during the night.

This only happened when Marinette treated him. 

“We have to get out of here as soon as possible!”

Dick turned his attention to Tim. The teenager was still in his Robin costume, but unlike the day before, the boy was visibly in great shape.

The young man looked up to spot the clock in the living room. It read "10:30". He didn't need to open the window to know it was already daylight.

He was very late for work.

_Never mind._

“It's all right, Tim...”

“No name on the field. And no, this is no good, Nightwing, this is a civilian's house!”

“She's a friend of mine.”

“That's not the point, and you know it.”

Dick sighed.

“Marinette is... someone we can trust. We're safe here.”

“I understand you trust your girlfriend, but-“

“She's not my girlfriend, and you could be more grateful to the person who saved your life last night, Robin.”

“Mmm. I'm thankful...”

The young man stood up, then lazily stretched. He quickly located the box Marinette had left in the living room the night before.

He walked over to it and opened it.

Inside, there were several men's clothes of different sizes, colors and shapes.

There were also two towels and a note.

_"Good morning Wing, I hope you and Robin slept well._

_The bathroom is down the hall to the right. There are cakes, milk and juice in the fridge, coffee and tea are in the second cupboard at the bottom right. The cups are in the top cupboard on the left. Sorry I don't have cereal..._

_And for God's sake... take care of yourself, God knows how much this town needs its protector._

_Kiss, Mari."_

Dick couldn't help but laugh.

At last...

He was going to get his pastries...

Too focused on the little note in the box, he didn't realize that Robin was watching him attentively, a worried expression on his face.

**Then the next night.**

**Court of Owls base, 01: 00 am.**

The members of the court were growing impatient. They were taking a big risk. They were using their Talons to move through the air a hallucinogenic drug with a temporary effect.

Their goal was simple: **to force the last Guardian to come out of hiding.**

Unfortunately, no matter how much time had passed, the guardian had made no move. Only these undesirable heroes appeared to thwart their plan.

It was time for a change of strategy.

The meeting between the most powerful members was about to begin, when shouts were heard.

Someone rushed into the room.

“Masters! It' s a disaster! There's an intr- _"_

**The messenger fell to dust.**

Just behind him, a figure appeared. This person was wearing a black cape that covered his face and body. It was impossible to identify if it was a man or a woman, or his age.

All of a sudden, everyone present was lifted into the air and began to suffocate from lack of oxygen.

**No one could say a word.**

The person started talking.

“I know each of your identities, I know where you live and how to reach you. So here's my warning.”

Half of the people present turned into a pile of dust.

“This is what will happen to **_your whole court_** if you keep _getting on my nerves_. This is **my one** and **only** _warning_.”

Before anyone can react, the mysterious person disappeared.

The messenger was mysteriously alive. All the people who had become dust statuses had returned to normal.

The president of the court, rose, still trembling.

“I propose a strategic retreat, _for now...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one small point that at this point seems important to me.
> 
> Marinette's a magician. She can use magic even WITHOUT the Miraculous! She learned magic from the guardians in the Miraculous Temple in Tibet. She specializes in healing magic. Having the Miraculous sealed inside her makes her immeasurably stronger than an "ordinary" magician.
> 
> A short summary of Marinette's "seal" in this AU:
> 
> This seal is a forbidden technique that turns a person into a Miracle Box. The host can use the powers of the sealed Miraculous and also invoke the weapons corresponding to each Miraculous. This is a forbidden Guardian technique, as the person can go completely crazy because of the overflow of power. Nevertheless Marinette has a very strong mind, and her years of physical training make her able to bear the powers of the Miraculous (In the canon, in the episode "Kwami Buster", Marinette is able to carry all the Miraculous, so imagine if she is older and has been trained for several years by the Guardians).
> 
> Alas, the Miraculous are governed by the rule of balance (Creation/Destruction). This is why Marinette suffers physically when she uses the power of the Miraculous for too long. It is exhausting both mentally and physically. (In the canon, there is an episode where Max's robot becomes akumatized, where we learn that if the little robot had vowed to become "human" then someone would have lost his humanity in return, it's a bit like the principle of "equivalent exchange" in FMA for those who know).


	6. The Wounded Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's too smart for his own good.  
> Dick and Marinette are getting closer.

Tim walked silently beside Dick. He had chosen to stay with him for a while before returning to Gotham to help him with the Talons. However, for three days now, everything had returned to normal.

No more Talons had appeared anywhere, the civilians were back to being "normal" again. The crime rate suddenly dropped.

He called Bruce, who confirmed that the same thing had happened everywhere.

Why had the attacks suddenly ended? Did it mean that the Court of Owls had found what it was looking for? If so, what was it looking at?

Bruce asked him to come home as soon as possible, because he wanted to talk to him about an important investigation and wanted an " external perspective ".

As he was getting ready, Dick made an unusual request.

“Tim... Could you keep what happened the other night to yourself?”

“You mean about your " friend"?”

“Yes. You know B. If he finds out I have a friend with such "ability"...”

“He's gonna start digging around in her life right away. I know that. What makes you think he doesn't already know?”

“I've known her for several months. He would have come here to meet her by now if he knew.”

“True enough.”

“What do you think?”

“Well... Okay...”

“Thanks, Timmy.”

Tim had only agreed to do it to please Dick, but the truth is, he wasn't at ease. He had a very bad feeling about this woman.

Dick might appreciate her, but the problem was that Dick trusted people too easily, or at least always gave them a chance.

He'd promised not to say anything, so he'd keep his word.

When he got to the Manor, he went straight to the Bat-Cave.

**A week later.**

Tim was nervously staring at his screen.

Sometimes he wished he wasn't so **observant.**

In front of him was a picture of a case his mentor had been working on for several years.

The Miraculous Case.

Batman had never believed in Ladybug's death (he was the only one who knew about it). The Dark Knight was convinced that the apprentice who had survived the temple massacre and the former heroine of Paris were both the same person.

Batman's reasoning was based more on his personal feelings than on facts. When Tim asked him why, he replied that the body that was discovered was strange (and with the power of jewelry, a fake body could very well be created).

That and the fact that the whole story was strange. What comforted him in this idea, was the fact that absolutely **everyone** who had come into contact with the Miraculous had a tragic fate.

According to Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Captain Marvel, the Miraculous were supposed to be "benevolent". All this killing didn't fit the description of the three heroes.

**Unless someone had done something to make it happen.**

Batman thought the former Paris heroine must have had a serious _breakdown_... Considering what had happened to her, it was completely understandable... If he'd been handed the fate of the world overnight, had lost his parents, was persecuted by his classmates and by the state, all at the age of thirteen... He wasn't sure how he would react. 

His mentor had hypothesized that the girl might have used the Miraculous for revenge, then fabricated her death, then fled to the Guardian Temple and became one of the apprentices. On the day of the attack on the temple, she would have used the Miraculous to escape once again, since it had already worked once before, leaving the rest of the Guardians to their fate.

In other words, it was urgent to find this apprentice, because **she was dangerous**.

However, this woman had magic jewels capable of destroying the balance of the world. The fact that Batman was unable to find any of the other jewels stolen from the Miraculous Temple was proof to Batman that the apprentice was dangerous: **she wanted to monopolize the powers of these jewels**.

Tim stared at the picture of the former Paris heroine, a certain Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This girl had now become a woman and had changed her last name.

He was certain that Marinette Fu was the apprentice Batman was looking for. 

On the one hand, he understood Batman's worries and he too was suspicious of the young woman... On the other hand, this woman had saved his life. If she just wanted to gain Nightwing's trust and then betray him, she could have eliminated both of them that night.

It was a unique opportunity. They were at her mercy.

Not only had she helped them, but she had not asked for anything in return, and had truly kept her word. She didn't disturb them at all.

It was this _altruistic_ behavior that had troubled Tim the most.

What did this woman gain by helping them both?

Dick then spoke of her only in good terms, telling him how kind and helpful she was. She had treated him several times before, without asking for anything in return. She was a "charitable" soul.

**He didn't believe in this kind of "free" behavior.**

Tim was now faced with a difficult choice, because he had promised Dick that he wouldn't tell Batman about his "friend".

He bit his lip.

_Damn it._

-XxxX-

Dick was worried.

He'd heard from Amy that Mari's coffee house had been closed for almost two weeks now.

The young man then decided to visit her directly at her apartment. He had been there as "Dick Grayson" a few times before. Dick wanted to prevent Marinette from getting too often involved with " Nightwing ", he had been too careless on this point until now.

Upon arriving in front of the young woman's apartment, Dick felt a shiver. He chose to ignore this feeling of unease and knocked on the door. He did so several times but got no answer. He thought she had probably gone out. As he walked away, the door opened slightly.

Dick frowned.

This was not normal.

He decided to take a look, just in case.

Dick entered the apartment, cautiously inside. At that moment, he found Marinette unconscious on the floor.

His heart missed a beat.

The young man rushed to the young woman's side. He was relieved to see that she was alive. However, she was feverish and breathing with difficulty.

How long had she been in this state?

He took her in his arms and went to the young woman's room and put her on the bed. Dick thought it would be best to call a doctor to have her examined. However, as he took out his cell phone to look for a doctor's number, a hand grabbed his wrist.

“Don't... not... no... doctor...”

“Marinette? You need to get yourself checked out.”

“No... just... too... much... power... doctor... do... nothing...”

" _Too much power_... What do you... Wait a minute, are you saying it's because you healed Robin that you're in this state?!”

“…”

“Marinette?”

She was unconscious again.

Dick ran his hand through his hair nervously. He couldn't leave her like that. He knew it would be safer to call a doctor, but on the other hand, he didn't want to go against the young woman's wishes. Especially if she was in that condition because of him...

The young man sighed and decided to help Marinette himself. Taking care of a sick person wasn't really his specialty, but since she was his friend, he could make an effort.

The first thing he had to do was to change her clothes. They were wet from sweat, so it must have been uncomfortable for her.

He swallowed, at the thought of doing this alone.

_I sincerely hope Marinette won't mind..._

Dick went through Marinette's things to find her some more comfortable clothes. It wasn't very difficult, the lady seemed to be rather maniac. Everything was neatly tidied up. Once he found some clothes, he went to bed and began to change the young woman.

Dick tried to remain as professional as possible. He was doing this to help a friend...

Then suddenly he froze. On Marinette's right flank there was a kind of mark that looked like a flower. However, this mark was not a tattoo at all, but looked more like a _burn_ made with a **hot iron.** She also had several scars on her belly. What appeared to be stab wounds. He was familiar with this type of scar, as he had several of his own. He also saw horrible scars all along the young woman's back. They were easily recognizable marks to him.

**Marinette had been whipped.**

Some of the marks were deep, as if they had been reopened several times.

Dick felt his heart clench. What the hell had happened to her? Who could have inflicted such wounds?

The young man chose to ignore this information. For now, he had to help his friend.

He stayed by her side for the next few days. When he explained the situation to Amy, she agreed to cover for him and also came from time to time.

She was then the one who changed Marinette's clothes, and also saw the horrible scars. Like him, she was horrified.

Marinette was completely delirious in her sleep.

“It... is... not me... no... _please_...”

She was crying a lot.

“...Don't... don't... leave me... I'm... sorry... so... sorry...”

She was fidgeting and twisting in pain.

“ _It hurts_... stop... please... let me... _let me die_...”

The young man could feel the anger rising inside him. He wondered what kind of hell his poor friend had gone through.

Dick held back several times, from chasing after information.

Marinette had always respected him. She respected his secret identity, never asked him indiscreet questions. She had always helped him, as best she could.

**He had no right to betray her trust.**

If one day she decided to talk to him about it, then he would be there to listen. But in the meantime, he would take care of her, just as she had so kindly taken care of him these past few months.

Dick felt like trash.

He had taken advantage of her kindness up until now but had never really tried to know the young woman more than he needed to. As if she was just a "tool" at his disposal... when clearly, **she was suffering in silence.**

He gently ran his hand over the young woman's forehead, to put back in place a few rebellious locks.

_I would protect you. I won't let anyone ever put you through that kind of torture again... I promise._

A week later, after Amy came home, Marinette woke up.

Dick didn't notice it right away, it wasn't until he heard a noise in the hallway that he realized that the young woman was standing, using the wall as a support.

“D-Dick? H-How?”

“Marinette!”

He rushed towards her.

“You must go to bed immediately; you're burning with fever.”

“What are you... you...”

“ _The café_ has been closed for almost three weeks Mari, I was worried, so I came to see you... The door of your apartment was open, when I came in, I found you burning with fever on the floor.”

“Three weeks...”

“Yeah, three weeks.”

“Oh, I see...”

She said nothing more and let Dick carry her to her room. As he helped her back to bed, she decided to speak again.

“You saw _them_... didn't you?”

Dick froze for a moment in his movements. 

“It's not... _very pretty_ , is it?”

Dick didn't answer.

“Aren't you going to ask me where _they_ _came from_?”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“N-No.”

“Then I won't ask.”

“…”

He covered her with a blanket and then turned his back to leave the room.

“Hey, Dick!”

He turned around.

“You're the _first person_... who hasn't asked me for anything... _thank you_.”

Dick walked back to the bed, kissed her forehead, then smiled.

“You're welcome.”

She smiled back at him.

After she woke up, Marinette gradually regained her strength.

At Dick's request, Amy didn't ask any questions, but she continued to visit Marinette every day. The young man had the impression that Amy had adopted Marinette like a little sister.

A few days later, Dick and Marinette were watching a movie together. They huddled together, with only one blanket to cover them both. Their heads were resting against each other and they shared a bowl of popcorn.

Dick was feeling good.

He was at home.


	7. Time for truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the Goddess seeks to flee her fears, the bluebird seeks to flee his heart.

It had been four months since Dick had seen the scars on her back.

Four months since Dick had become a glue pot, and Nightwing had "mysteriously disappeared". 

Marinette was not someone to whom he should entrust his life so easily. She had failed more than once in her life.

**The young woman was a loser.**

She had been unable to protect her friends from a simple liar.

She had been unable to protect her partner.

She had been unable to save her parents.

She had been unable to protect her master.

She had been unable to protect the Guardians.

She had been unable to protect the Kwamis.

**Marinette was simply a good-for-nothing.**

The bluenette sincerely had trouble understanding what Dick could see in her. Why he insisted on staying with her, even though she told him it wasn't worth it.

Boy, he had seen her scars, hadn't he? He must have realized that she had a questionable past!

Marinette enjoyed his company. That wasn't the problem. In fact, it was extremely touching to have someone who was sincerely worried about her. It hadn't happened for ages.

That was the problem.

**Dick was sincere with her.**

He really saw her as a friend and trusted her completely. The more she saw Dick, the worse Marinette felt.

Dick trusted people too easily.

And that wasn't the only problem.

She couldn't have friends.

She couldn't get attached to anyone.

Marinette didn't want to suffer anymore.

But still...

**The nicer Dick was, the more she became attached to him.**

So... Maybe it was time for her to leave?

After all, there was nothing really keeping her in this town, was there? All she had to do was erase his memory.

Walk away.

It was the only thing to do.

In fact, she should have left as soon as the Court of Owls had spotted her. Maybe she should have let the damn wave overwhelm Japan? Maybe she should have watched the world go down without moving a finger? It wasn't as if a loser like her could do much...

Marinette made the decision to leave. To leave everything before being injured and destroyed again.

So one night, Marinette decided to take one last little walk outside. She wanted to see the city one last time. The eurasian woman had no doubt that this year spent with Dick would be her most precious memory.

As she walked quietly, she felt something strange. Marinette was certain that she was being followed, and that these people had no good intentions at all. She pretended not to see anything. She wanted to identify their objective first (it was in those moments that she would have really liked to have telepathic abilities).

However, she suddenly felt weak. Her vision began to blur.

Marinette lost consciousness, before she could even activate any power.

-XxxX-

Dick felt slightly anxious.

Barbara had agreed to have dinner with him. It was the first time the two had seen each other since their break-up.

The atmosphere was a little strange at first, but finally, little by little, he could feel that their complicity was returning.

Maybe there was still hope for "them"?

Without really realizing it, Dick ended up talking about Marinette. It was a fairly natural "subject" for him, since the coffee shop run by the young woman was now an integral part of his patrol area. And he was certain that Barbara would get along just fine with the bluenette.

He didn't realize the wounded look the redhead gave him.

“Well, I'd be happy to meet your new girlfriend.”

Dick swallowed his piece of dough crookedly.

“What?!”

“Yes, Marinette. She seems like an interesting person.”

“She's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend.”

Barbara just smiled in reply.

The young man realized that maybe he shouldn't have mentioned another girl's name when he clearly wanted to make peace with his ex.

“Dick... You have the right to see someone else. You and I are history now. If she makes you happy then...”

“No, you're wrong! Look, l-“

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone started ringing.

He barely stopped grunting. It was really bad timing!

Dick looked at his phone screen. He was surprised to see his colleague Amy's number displayed on the screen. He quickly apologized to Barbara and walked away from their table to accept the call.

“Grayson! Please tell me Marinette is with you!”

“Marinette? No, I haven't seen her yet today. Why? What's up?

“I'm at her house. Her coffee shop has been vandalized; her apartment is a complete mess. I've already tried to call her several times, but she's not answering her phone. And then... there's blood on the floor...”

Dick felt his heart miss a beat.

“I'll be right there.”

He returned to Barbara in a hurry.

“I'm sorry Babs, I have... something urgent to do.”

“What? Dick, are you okay? Do you need some help?”

“…”

Dick did not answer her, and quickly left the restaurant. He hadn't heard her; his mind was already elsewhere. Several questions were jostling in his mind.

Why target Marinette?

Was it just a coincidence or had someone discovered that she had helped Nightwing?

Worse yet, maybe someone had discovered her healing abilities?

Marinette's healing skills were truly exceptional. If this ever came to light, Marinette would immediately become the target of criminals of all kinds. Not to mention the public pressure to force her to heal everyone. Even though she was exceptional, Dick understood that the healing power of the bluenette had an impact on her body. She had spent an entire month, very sick after treating Tim.

That was the reason he was no longer going to her house as Nightwing.

**Marinette was far too nice.**

She would always try to help him, even if it meant she had to suffer a setback. Marinette had always treated him with respect, tenderness, kindness and caring. She was a great person. A woman with a golden heart.

Dick loved this side of the young woman.

She was also funny, amusing, radiant. He loved to hear her laugh at his silly jokes. He liked to make her smile...

And then, she had this fragile side. Dick was aware that she was hiding a heavy secret. A dark and painful secret. Sometimes, when Marinette thought no one was looking at her, she had this habit of looking into the void. He had heard her cry several times before. But she always did it when no one was there to hear or even see. He wanted so much to help her get better.

If only he could share her burden...

If anything had ever happened to her, he was sure he would not forgive himself.

_Marinette..._

-XxxX-

When Marinette woke up, she was tied up on an operating table. She closed her eyes to better feel her body and her environment.

The eurasian woman was at least sure of one thing: she was not physically injured. Except for a few minor scratches.

Then she could feel that there were several people in the building. On the upper floors there was a psychologically disturbed person. His aura was that of a mischievous, selfish, and particularly cruel creature. This person was a cold-blooded killer.

There were also people in a room next to the room she was in. These people were not sane either. Marinette could sense that these people wanted to kill her. They were vicious, they clearly wanted to make her suffer as much as possible. That being said, just by seeing the instruments of torture on the table next to hers, she had already understood that she was not going to have a good time.

She had fallen into a madhouse.

Marinette breathed softly. It wasn't the first time she had found herself in an awkward situation. She concentrated by closing her eyes again.

_I invoke the power of the Miraculous. May Fluff's watch turn back time._

The young woman then discovered what had happened to her. Two women dressed in atrocious yellow overalls had trapped her. Then she was taken to this place to make Nightwing "come out" of his hiding place.

It was not very surprising that Nightwing's comings and goings to her apartment did not go unnoticed. She was even surprised that this kind of situation had not happened sooner.

Marinette spotted a camera in the room. She smiled. At least now she was sure that she had to get out of this city at all costs. Not just to protect her, but to protect Dick and his secret.

_I invoke the power of the Miraculous, that Fluff's watch may stop its mechanism._

It was instantaneous.

“Cataclysm.”

The bonds that held it in place fell to dust.

She had to move fast. She had already used Fluff's ability for at least three minutes, which meant she had only two minutes left to escape very quickly. As a "host" to the Miraculous, she could use any power once a day for five minutes. After that time, if she had not disabled the Miraculous' ability, then her soul would gradually be devoured. This resulted in fatigue, bleeding, headaches... And if she persisted, the mark of the seal would start to burn, inflicting an almost unbearable pain.

Marinette had not yet recovered from this. It was not the time to draw on her meager reserves.

If she died, the Kwamis would return to their spiritual form. The problem was that her body remained a "receptacle" for the Kwamis. In this case, someone with knowledge of black magic could try to resurrect her to gain control of the Kwamis. Or, someone who knows the ancient magic could simply transfer the seal she possessed to another object, or other person, and in this case, the Kwami, once appeared, would be obliged to obey the holder of the seal.

However, there was a way for the Kwamis to be completely free. She had to die a natural death. This meant that her time had come without any outside agent intervening. Then the vital contract that bound her to the Miraculous would be broken, and the spirit of the Kwamis would be set free.

In other words, she could not afford to lose her life in that place.

So she started running as fast as she could towards what she hoped would be the exit.

Unfortunately, the building was full of guards, and she was unfortunately spotted. A real manhunt began. She managed to hide behind a large wardrobe.

While she was wondering if she should not use another power to get out of this situation, despite the great pain she was feeling, she heard screams and gunshots.

“Stop him!”

There were sounds of a broken object, broken glass.

Then there was silence.

She heard footsteps in the hallway. The door of the room she was in opened. Marinette held her breath. Her heart was beating very hard in her chest. Her body was still weak, she wasn't sure she could defend herself properly. The only solution would be to use the power of the Miraculous, which at the same time was already killing her slowly.

The person came dangerously close to her hiding place. Then, she felt an aura. A familiar presence.

The aura of a caring person.

Nightwing.

She went out cautiously. Their eyes met.

He immediately rushed towards her and took her in his arms. She tightened her embrace. Marinette could feel the young man's emotions. He was relieved to find her again. Nightwing was genuinely concerned for her... Even though the situation was not especially joyful, a gentle warmth spread in her heart, at the thought of knowing that _he had come for her_...

For once, she won't complain about playing the damsel in distress...

“Marinette, are you okay? How did you manage to escape?”

“Yes, I'm fine. Well... I know some magic tricks.”

“Oh?”

Nightwing didn't have time to elaborate. They were interrupted by a huge noise. Then it all happened very quickly. A huge hole appeared near them, and something sent Nightwing crashing against a window.

Marinette fell into the hole, trying to catch her friend.

-XxxX-

Marinette was a little confused, her fall had not been the most pleasant.

She heard a huge noise, as if something very heavy had just fallen from the sky to the ground.

Suddenly, she had the impression that the moon had disappeared. Turning around, she found herself facing a mountain. The young woman was not used to judging people's appearance. However, she had to admit that Mother Nature had not been very nice to this man. This guy had a completely disproportionate skull, and this "hairstyle"...

She recognized this... "man"... He was the one who had sent the two women in the -atrocious- yellow jumpsuit to kidnap her.

The guy grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up as if she was a feather. The mastodon squeezed her neck.

**He wanted to kill her.**

This thing was the owner of that evil aura she had felt earlier. The cold-blooded killer.

“I'm going to teach that punk a lesson he won't soon forget.”

He's going to squeeze more.

Marinette understood what he was trying to do. This monster was waiting for Nightwing to come back to crush her neck in front of him.

The young woman was suffocating. However, her mind was very clear. 

No, she would not be a martyr for this hound. She had not survived all this time to serve as a "damsel in distress".

_I'll show you what it costs to get into trouble with a guardian._

Marinette closed her eyes. She had to concentrate, despite the pain.

_I invoke the power of the Miraculous..._

She felt the power of the Kwamis flooding her veins and invading her body. The guy seemed to realize the change.

“What the hell?!”

_Let Longg’s element break the skies._

The guy was struck by lightning on the spot, which caused him to drop her rather brutally. Marinette landed back on her feet.

The guy turned towards her. Marinette could see all the madness in the monster's eyes. He rushed towards her. The young woman raised just an eyebrow. She used Longg's wind, making the guy waltz violently against the wall.

“Blockbuster, if I'm not mistaken? I don't like your attitude at all.”

Marinette didn't give the guy time to retaliate. She teleported right in front of him.

“ **VENOM**!”

Before the guy had time to catch her, she paralyzed him on the spot. It was as if he was frozen in time. Marinette looked at him for a moment.

This guy was even uglier than she had ever seen before.

“M-Marinette?”

Hearing his first name, the young woman turned around. She found herself facing Nightwing. It meant that he had probably seen everything there... He had seen "her powers". Despite the anxiety she felt growing in her heart, she walked towards him. This was not the time to panic.

“Are you all right Night? You're not hurt?”

“I'm fine... What did you do?”

“Don't worry, he's just paralyzed. But it only lasts five minutes, we have to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“How do you-“

“I'll explain everything later, I promise, but right now we really have to leave, I don't want to face this _monstrosity_ again.”

She pushed the young man, so that he decided to leave.

_And above all, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stand in front of you for much longer without making a grimace of pain…_

-XxxX-

Nightwing took her home. Alas for her, he saw the horrible mark on her neck.

“Are you hurt?”

He was about to touch her, but she moved away quickly.

“It's nothing Night, it will pass...”

“Can't you cure yourself?”

“No, I can't.”

“Mmm.”

There was a silence between them. Marinette sincerely didn't want to have this conversation. Nevertheless, it was necessary. The bluenette played nervously with her fingers. She was looking for her words.

Was it necessary to tell him the truth? Tell him her whole story? Would he believe her? Would it affect their friendship?

_I don't want to lose him..._

From the corner of her eye, she could see that he was looking at her. He seemed to be waiting for her to express herself willingly. Dick always put other people's feelings before his own.

That was one of the reasons she liked him so much...

_We're similar in this respect... And I know today that this is a very bad thing._

Marinette didn't want to talk about it. She could feel her heart beating fast. Her hands were already clammy from nervousness. She really wanted to cry.

She didn't want to talk about it... but she promised.

Nightwing deserved an explanation.

So she tried to open her mouth to talk. Alas, no sound would come out of her mouth.

_Come on Marinette, tell him... tell him who you are... tell him what you did..._

Her body refused to obey her.

It was then that something warm came to rest on her hand. She realized that it was someone's hand.

When she looked up, she realized it was Nightwing.

“Marinette... You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”

What was he talking about?

As if her body was finally in tune with her mind. Marinette finally noticed her shaking. She felt that her cheeks were wet.

Quickly, she put her hand on her cheek to wipe away her angry tears.

She felt pathetic.

“I-I'm sorry, I just... I...”

“Hey, it's okay... Shhh... it's okay. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pressured you, Mari.”

What the hell was he talking about?!

He wasn't pressuring her! He had absolutely nothing to do with it! Marinette was afraid of her past, that's all! Why did he constantly believe that the bad things that were happening around him were his fault?

Nightwing put his hand over her face. He took off his glove. It was a warm hand that caressed her face. The vigilante gently wiped away her tears. He placed his forehead against her own.

“It's nothing Mari... It's over...”

She put her hand on his to enjoy a little of his warmth. Her heart refused to calm down. On the contrary, she could feel it getting even more excited. It had been so long since she had received any affection...

When she opened her eyes, she came face to face with Nightwing's mask. The bluenette could easily imagine his gaze under this mask looking at her. Dick had beautiful blue eyes.

Perhaps she should tell him that she had understood who he was...

Marinette smiles at him

She was so grateful to him.

At that moment, she no longer felt the excruciating pain on her neck.

**She could only see him.**

“Thank you Night...”

Her voice came out like a sigh.

She knew he had heard it.

The bluenette could see, that he had slightly flinched.

“Feeling better?”

Marinette nodded slightly. Nightwing's hand was still resting on her cheek, and she still had her hand on his. Then the Eurasian woman shook the hand of the young man in front of her. Then she gently took Dick's hand from her cheek and gently shook it. She looked at their intertwined hands for a moment, and then looked him in the eyes (at least what she assumed were his eyes, nothing was sure with the mask).

“I... don't like to talk about my past, Night. It's not against you... it's just... You know, I feel like when I finally get to move on, there's always something that comes up to remind me that I'm... different. I've lost a lot of people that...”

“Mari, you'll tell me about it when you feel ready, okay?”

He put a kiss on her forehead.

She didn't feel able to talk about her secret now.

_But maybe one day..._

She closed her eyes and let herself go into the arms of the one who was now her only comfort.

A gentle warmth spread through her soul. A strange feeling of security. She felt like she belonged, in the arms of this friend who was always there for her.

She knew that feeling. That's why she was so reluctant to leave...

She was falling in love... Maybe she already was?

A whirlwind of contradictory feelings. She wanted to stay with him knowing that it was a very bad idea given her condition as the "last guardian".

The feelings in her heart drew her beyond the wall she had put up in her soul.

_So, what's next? What do I do now?_

-XxxX-

Dick carried Marinette to her bed and then covered her with a blanket. (Marinette insisted on staying in her apartment, even though it was a complete mess).

He stayed a long time watching her sleep, then gently passed his hand over her cheek. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest.

He had been scared of losing her.

Then Dick got up, made sure the whole apartment was locked, and left pensively. He returned to his apartment, barely undressed, and dropped into bed.

The mere thought that he had almost lost a friend made him nauseous.

Dick sighed for the hundredth time since the end of that evening. He was going to have to apologize to Barbara. He took his phone to dial the number, which he now knew by heart...

His heart tightened.

**He felt like a cheater.**

What was wrong with him? Nothing extraordinary had happened.

**If his heart already belonged to someone, why did he feel a strange warmth in his chest when he was with Marinette?**

Deep down, Dick knew what was going on.

He felt irremediably attracted to another wind. His heart was completely turned inside out. His mind wanted one thing, but his heart seemed to have chosen the opposite direction.

It was a whirlwind of contradictory feelings.

_And now what happened? What do I do now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two women mentioned by Marinette in yellow uniform are twin sisters. They are called "Double dare". They are acrobats. They appear in the comic book "Nightwing", and more recently in season 2 of the anime series devoted to Harley Quinn.


	8. Follow Your Heart?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is high time for a certain bluebird to take stock of his feelings.  
> In the shadows, the enemy is lying in wait, ready to attack.  
> Fate observes the scenario in silence. The pawns are now in place. The hour of truth is fast approaching.

Dick had just returned from patrol. It had been a quiet evening. He removed his things as discreetly as possible, then went to take a shower. Finally, he put on his shorts, took a tank top and finally went to bed.

Marinette was already in bed, she seemed to be sound asleep. He sat down beside the young woman. Instinctively, she came and huddled against him.

Dick smiled.

He breathed in her sweet perfume. Soon, he let himself go into Morpheus' arms.

Since the accident with Blockbuster, Dick had finally managed to convince Marinette to come and live with him for a few days, enough time for her apartment and her café to be refurbished. Indeed, her apartment had been completely ransacked and her café half destroyed.

Initially, he wanted to sleep on the couch and leave his bed to Marinette. But the little bluenette had categorically refused.

In the end, they decided to share the bed.

After all, they were just "good friends". 

It took a few adjustments. Dick finally found an excuse for his patrols as Nightwing, the fact that he was on guard duty. He also had to use his imagination to hide his vigilante stuff.

But these small "sacrifices" were worth it.

Marinette was, as he had imagined, a bit of a maniac. In the space of three days, his apartment had metamorphosed. 

To begin with, the apartment was spotless. There was nothing lying around, which was very unusual. Dick was the embodiment of disorder when it came to his stuff.

There were several green plants near the window. The living room wall had been decorated with an assortment of black and white circus-themed frames. The Flying Grayson poster was now framed and stood proudly in the middle of the other smaller frames.

The sofa, as well as the armchairs, had been covered with plaids and throws of fabric in light blue, white and black. There were now decorative cushions on the sofa, in bright colors.

There was a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the middle of the side table.

It was a very successful mix of industrial retro style. The apartment was now tastefully decorated, and that was a good match for Dick's jovial personality. 

The young man was also very insistent that Marinette simply rested. She wouldn't listen to him. She made him breakfast every morning, she made him lunch, she made dinner... (And god... what a good cook that girl was...)

The blueberry had even started sorting his clothes, doing the laundry... She didn't have to do any of that at all! He was completely embarrassed by the situation.

Then, little by little, he got used to this little routine.

He got used to the decoration. He was eating more properly. He had gotten used to having to walk around the apartment in socks only... His co-workers started teasing him about his "roommate" (especially Amy, who didn't miss one).

Dick found himself looking forward to going home. He could then spend time with Marinette.

He learned a little more about her. 

Her father had died in an accident and her mother had abandoned her. Her Chinese teacher adopted her and took her with him to his home village in Tibet. She then spent seven years of her life training in a Shaolin temple. Marinette did not go into details, but Dick quickly realized that the scars on her back were from that period.

In other words, Marinette's "guardian" had made sure to isolate her as much as possible and take advantage of her vulnerable situation. But Dick was careful not to say so.

After the death of her first guardian, she had a second one. It was this second guardian who took her to the United States. He was also the one who provided her with the funds to open her café.

“Maybe you will meet him one day... He is... a bit unique, you might say... He always calls me "Goddess"...According to him, it suits me.”

“Hmm. I don't think he's wrong. You're very pretty. Besides, I'd love to meet your benefactor.”

_And to give him a medal for taking you away from an unhealthy environment._

“ _Ahaha_ , very funny. Here, for once you have a day off and enjoy your breakfast.”

“Yes, boss!”

“I'm going to take a look at my renovation work today, normally everything should be ready in two weeks. I took the opportunity to make some small changes in the coffee.”

“Two weeks eh...”

“Yes, you would finally be rid of me!”

She winked at him and stuck her tongue out.

_Get rid of you... Uh... If only you knew..._

Dick laughed, to hide his discomfort.

The young man was... **lost**...

He had growing feelings for Marinette. He was not in love with her. _Yet._ But he knew he could.

The fact that she stayed with him didn't help his heart make his choice. Dick loved her presence. He liked being in her company, he liked the idea of sharing a roof with her...

However, even though he had affection for her, his heart still belonged to Barbara.

Dick couldn't help it.

Heavens, he felt so bad about having so many conflicted feelings.

_I feel like I'm just a bastard..._

His heart beat faster as soon as he heard the sound of Bab's voice on his earpiece. There was again this chemistry between them, this little spark.

Dick wanted to keep that flame alive.

_Barbara is my first true love... She is an incredible woman. Strong, daring, intelligent, extremely beautiful... My heart beats strongly just by seeing her. I'm breathless. A shiver runs through my whole body, just her presence alone is enough to trouble me._

But on the other hand...

Another spark had been created in his heart. The more time he spent with Marinette, and more this little spark became a flame.

As time went by... And more he realized that the connection he had with Marinette was mutual.

_The more I hear your laughter, and the more melodious it becomes... Now, when I snuggle up to you, my traitor of heart is screaming that I' m home now... When I see your smiles, I tell myself that I would like to see more of that luminous sun that you are. What have you done to me?_

Maybe he should throw water on the fire before it becomes an inferno?

_I have to get away._

His heart tightened.

Dick didn't want to leave. He felt irretrievably drawn in. Like a planet that had finally found its sun.

_Damn it... I don't understand what I want._

-XxxX-

Marinette Fu.

This young woman was a real enigma.

After Dick left her shamelessly, during their evening, Barbara had started to research this mysterious young woman who seemed to have all the attention of her ex.

_This reminds me of when he was dating Kori..._

The more she searched, the more discomfort grew in her.

Something was wrong with this woman. She had a strange past.

Marinette Fu, whose birth name was Marinette Lenoir, had been adopted at the age of 14, after being abandoned by her biological parents.

This simple fact was already raising a lot of questions. Why did her parents abandon her when she was already a teenager? According to the papers, the parents could no longer afford to take care of her. But if that was the case... Why didn't they leave her with a relative? Why did they hand her directly to the social workers?

Moreover, Barbara searched everywhere but could find nothing about the young woman's so-called parents. She only had their names: Mathilde Lenoir and Bastien Lenoir. They were supposed to be small businessmen, but it was impossible to get their name of their business...

After her adoption by this "Wang Fu", the young woman and her "adoptive father" disappeared completely from the radar. There is a gap of several years in her life. No activity on social networks, no banking activity, no known address.

Nothing. Zero.

Not everyone can just vanish like that.

It was as if, for seven years, the young woman had simply disappeared from the face of the earth.

Another surprising fact is that she was recently adopted, three years ago, by a certain Kent Nelson.

Her last name was actually _Marinette Lenoir Fu Nelson_.

It was at that moment, while reading the young woman's full last name several times, that Barbara realized one thing: Kent Nelson's name was not unknown to her.

She continued her research on the surname of the second adoptive father of this Marinette. When the picture of the man appeared on her screen, Barbara's heart missed a beat.

This girl was the adopted daughter... of Dr. Fate?!

Barbara nervously bit her lip for a few moments. There were several alarm bells ringing for her.

Where had this girl been for seven years?

Why did Kent Nelson adopt this girl when her previous guardian was apparently still alive? (Barbara hadn't found any death certificates yet.)

It was clear to Barbara that the origin of this "Marinette" (if it was really her first name) was false and that these "official" papers were completely fake.

What was interesting was that the adoption of Marinette by Kent Nelson had allowed her to obtain American citizenship in record time. This once again aroused Barbara's suspicions.

This woman had no social network, no cell phone, only a landline. Part of the funds of her business came from an unknown source, which Barbara was unable to find.

Barbara was skeptical. 

Why on earth was Dick dating someone with such a questionable past?

She knew him well enough to know that he was the type to always give people a chance, even when he shouldn't. Maybe the young man knew about this girl's past, and decided to give her a chance? Or maybe it was another one of his " _someone needs me so I'm going to play the Good Samaritan_ " phases.

Dick would be her friend, because he just feels sorry for the girl...

In any case, the redhead couldn't see herself asking Dick the question. It would imply to confess to him, that she had done some research about his " friend ". And it could also be very misinterpreted. If there was one thing Barbara wanted to avoid at all costs, it was that there be the slightest ambiguity between them.

Their history had been an intense moment, but that was in the past.

The redhead wanted to move on and just stay on good terms with someone she considered a friend. Her search was simply justified by curiosity!

_I'm pathetic. Who am I trying to fool?_

No really, at that point Barbara had to admit one thing: **she was hurt.**

After almost a whole year away from the young man, Barbara had come to the conclusion that she missed him very much, and that maybe... they could try to put the pieces back together? It was true that their relationship had had its ups and downs. Perhaps they had gotten together too soon?

_God... How stupid of me._

Barbara spent almost an hour listening to Dick talk to her about another girl.

A girl who was supposed to be " _just a friend_."

And yet, the vigilante could sense the affection that Dick had for this girl. With every word he said about her, his eyes shone with a certain tenderness.

**A tenderness that was reserved only for her...**

Was she hurt?

Yes, completely.

Was she jealous?

Perhaps she was.

Was she angry?

**Absolutely.**

No mistake about it. Barbara had absolutely NOTHING against this girl. Her anger was mostly turned against Dick. This idiot was giving this girl false hope.

The redhead was far from being an idiot. If Dick had contacted her, it was because he wanted to make things better between them. Instead, he spent his time talking to her about another woman, for whom he undoubtedly had feelings... But... Who obviously weren't as strong feelings as Dick still had for her.

In other words, for Barbara, Dick was using this girl as a band-aid, to forget their old relationship.

**It was totally unfair to this young woman.**

Well... It was what she thought...

One evening, she decided to visit Dick. She was clearly tired of the situation and wanted to clarify their relationship once and for all.

Her first surprise? Dick's apartment had undergone a complete makeover.

“Did you redecorate?”

Barbara couldn't help but notice that there was a shoe cabinet at the entrance. And that on this piece of furniture, there were several handbags. The redhead knew very well that these objects did not belong to Dick.

“Ah, yes... I'm still having a little trouble getting used to it. It was Mari's idea after seeing the state of my apartment. She forced me to go shopping.”

_They... live together?_

“You mean she bought the decorations and you just carried the packages.”

“Touché.”

Barbara had a forced smile on her face. But Dick didn't seem to notice.

“Can I offer you something?”

“Just a cup of coffee will be fine.”

Dick began to talk cheerfully for a while about all sorts of things. Especially about his work at the police station. Barbara listened silently.

When Dick came back with the coffee, he put on the table several small assortments of small macaroons, all in different colors.

Barbara's heart squeezed at the sight of these little cakes. She was sure that these macaroons were made by... _that girl_.

“So, do you have something to tell me?”

“I've been... thinking a lot lately. About... _us_.”

“…”

“Dick, I want to know why you called me the other night.”

“I...”

There was a great silence. Dick scratched his head nervously.

Barbara felt offended once again.

“Dick, this girl, what does she mean to you?”

“This ... You mean Marinette? She's just a friend.”

Barbara let out a sigh. 

_Just a friend, huh?_

She silently watched the new decoration of Dick's apartment.

_A "friend" for whom you left me high and dry. A "friend" who obviously lives in your apartment. A "friend" you let re-decorate your apartment._

She didn't have time to put her thoughts into words. Dick's cell phone started ringing.

“I'm sorry... I have to take this call.”

Dick got up and left the room. When he returned, he seemed a little confused.

“That was Amy... I have to get back to the police station. Can we... have this conversation a little later?”

“Hmm. Duty calls.”

“Yeah... Duty calls.”

She left the place with bitterness inside her.

-XxxX-

**Gotham, 3:30 a.m.**

Fate watched the scene unfolding before his eyes with some concern.

The Court of Owls was really an organization made up of psychopaths, narcissistic, self-centered perverts, and guys with a god complex. And this crazy gang wanted to get their hands on the primary Miraculous box at all costs. Those who granted a wish that changed reality and erased the past. 

With the help of the last Guardian, he had needed two years to recover all the Miraculous lost around the globe (which was relatively short in view of the considerable number of Miraculous recovered). These Miraculous were now under the protection of the group he had formed very recently. A new group, of which the young Guardian was a member.

“Gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight because we have great news. We have finally managed to establish the identity of the last Guardian.”

Fate sighed.

He had sincerely hoped that the little one could finally have a normal life. But unfortunately for her, by merging all the Miraculous of the original Miracle Box, she became the universal balance of the universe. This meant that her whole life would constantly be governed by the law of "equivalent balance".

If she was lucky, then, as a result, she would have to endure a period of bad luck equal to the good luck she had enjoyed.

And Fate knew that Marinette had recently had a change in her life. She had developed powerful feelings for someone. This meant that a misfortune as great as her "positive feelings" would come upon her soon.

Fate remembered that day when he had found the little Guardian. She was about to take her own life after the last Miraculous Temple was robbed. The man had sensed that the entire universe was disintegrating.

In order for their universe (and all life) to continue to exist, this young woman had to live.

She told him her story.

He chose to take her under his wing.

The first thing he did was to introduce her to someone who would help her regain her self-confidence. Someone who also needed to be reframed.

He introduced Marinette to John Constantine. If there was one person on this Earth who wouldn't go to the Justice League and offer her up on a platter, it was that eccentric blonde.

Marinette was a little lady with a big heart. Someone who had suffered enormously. Many had taken advantage of her kindness, including the Guardians.

These guys were supposed to protect magical artifacts from those with bad intentions, not hold children hostage and brainwash them.

The girl hadn't realized this. But **she had a serious Stockholm syndrome.**

Her former "Master" had abused his authority. He had made sure to isolate her. With all the emotional baggage that the girl had, it was very easy for him to do whatever he wanted.

**The former guardian had used Marinette to free himself from his responsibilities.**

Constantine was not easy to persuade. At first, he was indifferent. But by dint of insistence, the blond eventually gave in.

Fate could declare with certainty that Constantine had become attached to Marinette. He saw her as a little sister (even though he was certain that the blond man would probably never admit it).

Fate himself saw Marinette as his daughter.

“This time we will proceed differently. I have in mind to hire several assassins.”

The magician's attention turned again to the members of the court.

He could disintegrate them if he wanted to. But he had no desire to attract the attention of Batman (this guy was dangerous to the little Goddess. Since the death of the second Robin, his judgment was particularly impaired. If he learned the truth about Marinette, he would try to control her). 

Fate felt sorry for the little Goddess. But for her safety, and the safety of the universe.

**Marinette had to leave Blüdhaven.**


	9. Just this time...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has to make a choice.  
> Her love or The balance of the world?  
> What if for once... we let her make her own choices?

“No.”

“Goddess, be-“

“I said no!”

“That's it, kid, don't give up!”

“John, you're not helping.”

Marinette had received a visit when she went home to pick up a few things. Here she is now with Nelson (aka Fate or her adoptive father who took his role too seriously), John Constantine (aka annoying older brother) and Zatanna Zatara (aka overprotective older sister).

When Marinette saw them appear in her living room, she immediately understood that she wouldn't like what she was about to hear.

When Fate explained to her that the Court of Owls knew who she was, she almost felt the urge to laugh. It was surprising that they hadn't found this information earlier. Marinette hadn't been hiding this time.

These people had already taken everything from her the first time. Marinette swore that she would never run away again. She was more than tired of always hiding, of always being the one who had to run, of always being the one who was asked to give up everything.

Those few days she had spent with Dick had made her realize something extremely important: she was happy with him.

And this time... Just... this time...

She didn't care if she was hurt.

Just once...

_I want to taste happiness... Just once..._

Zatanna walked towards her and caressed her cheek affectionately.

“Marinette, I understand that you don't want to leave, but things have changed. I don't know how much longer I can keep the League away from you.”

“But that's not all. I know Robin has discovered your identity too. For now, he's keeping quiet, but it's only a matter of time before he spills the beans to Batman.”

Marinette remained silent.

John decided to intervene, he was clearly annoyed by the situation.

“Marinette, if you want to stay, stay.”

“John!”

“Zatanna!”

“…”

“What I mean is, instead of pushing what you want on the girl, cause let's be honest, neither of you wanted her to leave "the nest", let her make her own choices.”

The three started arguing about it. Marinette loved them with all her heart. Fate, Zatanna and John were the three people who welcomed her when she was at her lowest point. They taught her how to master her powers. They were also the ones who made her realize how much she had been... **_manipulated_ all her life**.

She had been conditioned to always do what others expected of her. She always had to sacrifice everything for the good of others. If something went wrong, it was her fault. She had been betrayed by the people she loved with all her heart.

Even though she had her faults in the story with Lila... Nothing justified her father's murder.

It was all those small actions that had made her a person with so little self-confidence even today. Marinette was still prone to periods of intense depression.

But everything had changed recently...

 **He**... had changed everything.

Those days with Dick had made her realize how she felt. There was no point in denying it, she had fallen madly in love with Nightwing, Officer Grayson... that simpleton Dick. When he made stupid jokes that weren't funny, when he made fun of her clumsiness, when he jumped from roof to roof to protect the city... Marinette loved every facet of the young man.

**And Dick shared her feelings.**

Marinette was able to _literally_ see people's emotions. She could see their souls. Dick had strong feelings for her. However, someone else also had the affection of the young vigilante.

It was precisely because Marinette was aware of this reality that she hadn't tried anything yet.

She was willing to wait a little. To give him time.

However... she was THE universal balance.

Dick was strong. Nightwing was a formidable opponent. But he could do nothing against fate. If she stayed with him, then inevitably disasters would pile up around them.

_I should leave._

Fate and Zatanna were right.

_But... I don't want to... Can I... just once... be selfish? Just one time..._

Marinette cleared her throat to attract the attention of the other three adults in the room.

“I... need time to think.”

“Marinette, there's no more-“

“ _Please.”_

Fate sighed. Zatanna looked at her sadly. John shook his head from right to left, clearly upset. They had the "kindness" to leave her alone.

Marinette returned to Dick's apartment. At last... _their_ apartment, as she liked to think.

Deep down... The dreamy little Marinette had never completely left her.

The days that followed were not easy. She didn't know what to do.

Did she have to leave?

Should she risk staying?

Could she confess her feelings?

Should she just keep them to herself?

Fate, meanwhile, gave her some disturbing information: she had several killers on her tail. And some of them had already started to move.

Of course, Dick wasn't an idiot, he soon realized that something was bothering her.

“Mari-...[...] Marinette!”

“Uh?! What?! I-I'm sorry... You were saying?”

“Mari... what's wrong? You know you can talk to me, right?”

“I...”

The eurasian woman then looked him straight in the eyes, looking into his azure eyes. He was sincerely worried about her.

“I... have to go, Dick.”

“Yes... Your coffee shop and your apartment are almost reformed.”

“No... I... have to leave Blüdhaven.”

“What?! But... Why?”

“…”

“Marinette? What's going on? Talk to me.”

He took her hand in his and put his forehead against his own.

It wasn't fair.

Why did he have to be so... so... thoughtful?

Her mind was telling her to cut the conversation short. Her heart was breaking.

“Marinette?”

“I'm... wanted by some people... who found me.”

Dick says nothing. He just looked her straight in the eye, urging her to continue. His hand tightened around Marinette's hand.

She closed her eyes for a moment and then took a slow breath.

Instead of telling him that she was going to leave... Marinette finally told him the truth. The secret she was keeping preciously.

“Several years ago... when I was still living in Paris. A terrorist appeared. He terrorized the city using a magical artifact that allowed him to give a super-power to any person of his choice. He used this ability to control people and turn them into super-villains.”

“I've heard about this.”

“To fight this terrorist, two young people were chosen. These two people were given two of the most dangerous powers in the world. Two powers that represented the balance of the world: the power of creation and the power of destruction. That is how two heroes appeared in Paris. Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

“Hmm-Mmm.”

“And one of those chosen... was me... I was... I was Ladybug.”

Dick's eyes widened slightly.

“At the time I was 13 or 14, I don't remember it very well. I was naive... and completely carefree... I had dreams, friends, family... a crush... At that time, I didn't want to be a hero. But on the other hand, becoming Ladybug was a huge honor for me. I was struggling to make ends meet. I was under constant stress. I had to live my life as a schoolgirl with the fate of the world on my shoulders.”

Marinette remained silent for a while, trying to put her thoughts in order.

“I had no training, no coaching... I didn't meet the one who chose me until several months after I received my powers... The only thing that protected me was my magic uniform. My partner was the same age as me, and he had no training either. We were two kids who had to fight an adult man.”

Dick frowned, but silently continued to listen.

Marinette told him about the fights, told him what the Miraculous were for. Then she finally arrived at the case of Lila Rossi.

The bluenette told him everything that had happened.

“She killed my father Dick... Because I couldn't accept his lies... All that to be the popular girl in college... And I... I had to keep on pretending to be a hero when I had no one left... What I used to do, didn't make sense to me anymore.”

It was quite amusing. She seriously thought that telling this story would put her in a deplorable state, that she would cry every tear until she was dehydrated. But instead, the young woman felt nothing. Just an immense emptiness.

Marinette continued to tell her story. How she had gone to Tibet to train as a guardian. The mysterious disappearance of Master Fu... How she had to work four times harder than all the others, because the other guardians would not accept a woman among them....

The punishments...

The blows...

Inhuman training.

“I was at their mercy. I thought what was happening to me was right. That it was normal.”

Marinette told him about the attack on the temple by the Court of Owls and especially... about her completely crazy choice to seal the Miraculous inside her.

“I was so desperate. I thought I had lost everything again. I thought that if I sealed the jewels inside me and then committed suicide, it would prevent the Court from having the jewels.”

She told him about her meeting with Fate and then with the others. How they had made her realize that her situation was not normal. How they' d hidden her from the Justice League. And... from _Batman_...

“Today, all the existing Miraculous, which had been stolen by the Court of Owls, are under the protection of Fate, Zatanna, John and myself. The goal is to let no human come in contact with these jewels and to keep them safe. No one knows about this story... And now the Court is convinced that I own all the Miraculous jewels. And... They know who I am... That's why Fate and the others want me to leave Blüdhaven and return to live in the House of Mysteries with them. Where no one will be able to find me...”

“Hmm... So those scars on your back... Did the guardians do that to you?”

“Yes, they did.”

“And so... you know... for me?”

“That you're Nightwing? Yes. Since day one. I didn't say anything, because it's your secret. And I know how important it is.”

“…”

“Dick... I have to go. But... I don't want to.”

Dick looked into her own eyes. He let go of her hand, which he held firmly throughout her story. He took her face in his hands.

At that moment, there was no need for words. His gaze told her everything she needed to know.

Their faces came closer and closer.

Dick captured her lips and kissed her passionately. Their lips moved, completely in sync.

Their hearts beat in unison.

The passion gave way to desperate touches.

A wild dance.

Two bodies linked together for the first time.

**Just this time... She just forgot everything.**

_Just this time... Let me be selfish._


	10. Breaking Bans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My life doesn't matter anymore. I've been unable to save the people I love... I've always been a walking disaster. Except this time it will be different. I won't let the people I love suffer like this in front of me anymore. I didn't save dad, I didn't save the guardians. But Dick... I will save him.

Tim was in the midst of a crisis of conscience.

He had been secretly investigating Dick's mysterious friend for several months now. At first, like Batman, he had assumed that the woman was dangerous. He had spent several hours tracing the young woman's movements, listening to phone calls, reading text messages, and searching social networks, dating from the time she lived in Paris.

His conclusion? Marinette was a victim.

This woman had been harassed in middle school, was accused of a murder she didn't commit, and had to continue her role as a heroine despite the death of one of her parents and the rejection of the other. Tim could only sympathize with her, having experienced a painfully familiar situation.

The question that remained unanswered was what had become of her after these events.

Tim had a theory. He had discovered that Marinette had been adopted by Dr. Fate, so perhaps just as he had become Robin, she had become Fate's apprentice or at least partner. However, other questions arose. How had they met? Why had Fate never mentioned the young woman when he knew the League was looking for her? Why had she only recently reappeared? Had she taken revenge on her former persecutors by cursing them (what had happened to those who had been in contact with the jewels was just strange).

The only thing that was clear in Tim's mind was that the sudden appearance of the Court of Owls corresponded to the time when the Guardian had made her reappearance. This meant one thing to Tim, the Court was looking for her. The reasons were obvious to him. A person with such a source of power in their hands was an ideal target for people belonging to the Court of Owls, which had a serious god complex.

For the time being Tim had kept his investigation to himself. He didn't know what to do. Should he tell Batman? He should. Nevertheless, this Marinette was a friend of Dick's (He didn't believe for a second that Dick saw her just as a "friend", the only way his voice changed when he talked) or the way his eyes shone when he mentioned this girl told him that Dick was just in denial.

Tim had a bad feeling. He closed his eyes for a few moments to consider his options. If his hypothesis was correct, and that the Owl Court was after this Marinette, then that would explain why they had suddenly started attacking several towns. They were looking for her. Then they would have stopped once they had found their target. That would then mean that it was the "calm" before the storm. That girl was in danger, Dick was in danger... The town of Blüdhaven was in danger... At that point, it was even the whole universe that was in danger. Who knew what the Court of Owls would do once they got their hands on the Miraculous. What kind of wishes would they make?

He sighed softly.

_Forgive me, Dick..._

Although he would have to put up with the anger of Dick, the man he now considered as an older brother, there was far too much life at stake. This woman may not have been a bad person, but those who were looking for her were.

Tim picked up his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. Just three rings later, the person answered.

“Bruce, I think I know where the Guardian of the Miraculous is.”

-XxxX-

Marinette was sincerely shocked by the turn of events. Absolutely everything had happened extremely quickly.

She knew that since she had become the host of the Kwamis, the bluenette had become The Universal Balance.

The Eurasian was sure that this principle governed her life, but only HER life. It was not supposed to affect those around her!

Dick had lost everything in a single day.

Everything had gone so fast.

First the circus he had grown up in had been destroyed because of a terrorist attack. Someone had blown up a bomb during a performance. At the same time, his teammate Amy was shot in the middle of a patrol. It is impossible to know who the shooter was.

The building they lived in had exploded while they were both at work. Unfortunately, almost all the residents were dead. Marinette's café had also exploded but, being a magician, the young woman had gotten away without any problem.

She was the only one who got out.

All the others attacked that day lost their lives.

At the end of the day, when Dick went to the café, they both found themselves in front of the burning café. When Dick saw her, he took her in his arms and cracked completely.

Dick cried.

It broke her heart.

_It's so unfair..._

Marinette felt helpless. Even if she used her Miraculous Ladybug, it wouldn't bring back to life those who had been lost...

_It's all my fault... Fate was right, I should have left._

Marinette saw the consequences of her selfishness.

Because she had chosen her own well-being, the one she loved more than anything else had lost everything. She felt fulfilled, so another person had to lose everything to keep the balance.

**The days that followed were terrible.**

Dick decided to hunt the criminals behind these incidents alone. Marinette tried to talk some sense into him, but it was in vain. The young man did not listen to her.

Nightwing, did anything. He took absolutely no care of himself and now he was hunting down the culprits of this carnage day and night. He was no longer himself.

The young woman tried to reason with him again, but he pushed her away. She tried to tell him that what had happened was not his fault, but the vigilante ignored her.

**Then the worst happened.**

One night, Marinette learned that Blockbuster was shot in the head. The news made the front page of the local newspaper and the main suspect was... Nightwing. At the same time, several Talons decided to attack her in her hotel room where she had been forced to stay because her coffee shop and Dick's apartment no longer existed.

To her surprise, Batman and Robin appeared out of nowhere to save her.

_"Robin discovered your identity too. For now, he's keeping quiet, but it's only a matter of time before he spills the beans to Batman."_

That's what Fate told her.

Marinette had actually never understood why Batman or even the Justice League was dangerous to her. But Fate was certain that she should stay away from them. The Eurasian had complete faith in Fate, so she had followed his advice and avoided the League like the plague, even though she knew they were actively seeking her out.

After that night, Marinette understood exactly why Fate did not want her involved with them.

Batman actually listened to her story and offered to "get her out of the way," giving him and the rest of the League time to take care of the Court of Owls. Marinette found herself isolated from everyone. She interacted only with a few League members: Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. She was watched 24 hours a day.

Wonder Woman told her that they were looking for a way to free her from the seal. Marinette knew perfectly well that this was impossible, and she tried to explain it, but no one seemed willing to listen to her. To make matters worse, she had no news of Dick. He had never come to see her.

After a whole month, seeing how everyone was acting around her, as if she was not a person but a dangerous weapon, Marinette understood what was going on.

It was the effects of the balance.

Dick was a lovely, caring person who was always looking out for her. What was happening to her was just a setback. No matter what she did, no one would listen to her, because they were all under the influence of the Balance. Most importantly, she realized that Dick probably didn't know where she was.

Did Dick know that she was still alive?

**Every action caused a reaction.**

** It was The Law.  **

Using the Miraculous for personal gain always had negative effects. She had abused her powers more than once. To heal Nightwing, but also when she prevented events from happening, as in the case of Japan. Marinette had acted impulsively, she knew that Kagami was in Japan at that time. She and thousands of people would have died if the Tsunami ever happened. The bluenette could not bear this idea. She had also saved Robin's life... She had already rewritten reality several times to be able to recover the Miraculous that the Court of Owls had managed to steal.

It was only a matter of time before all of her actions combined would have disastrous negative consequences.

This was what Fate and Zatanna wanted to avoid. As for John, he was the kind of man who would let people make mistakes and teach them a lesson.

"Take responsibility for the consequences of your actions". That was probably the lesson John wanted her to learn.

_Dick... Would you mind if I told you that, despite everything, I don't regret meeting you?_

Marinette decided to intervene.

She loved Nightwing. She loved Dick.

More than anything else in this world...

Those few months spent at his side had been the happiest of her life for so long.

Marinette didn't care about the price she had to pay. She knew that she would not survive the blow the mark would inflict on her. Nevertheless, if her disappearance could allow her beloved to no longer suffer... If by this gesture, Dick could be saved... Then... If by this gesture, all these people could be saved... Then....

_My life doesn't matter anymore. I've been unable to save the people I love... I've always been a walking disaster. Except this time it will be different. I won't let the people I love suffer like this in front of me anymore. I didn't save dad, I didn't save the guardians. But Dick... I will save him._

The young woman stopped time before anyone could do anything. She calmly walked out of the house she had lived in for the last thirty days.

She teleported to the Guardian Temple that had been destroyed. She stared at the building for a long time.

“Today, justice will be served for you, Guardians.”

“I am not sure that the term "Justice" is the most appropriate one.”

Marinette didn't look back. She already knew who was there. He often appeared in her dreams (or perhaps her nightmares). If he was there, it meant one thing: she had abused her powers and was on the verge of collapsing. When Marinette suffered because of the seal on her body, she regularly had hallucinations. Of her family, of her former friends... Of her first love...

“You knew this would happen.”

“It wasn't hard to guess, _my Lady_.”

At her side was the ghost of Adrien Agreste. The blond boy watched the Temple with her.

“It's time for you to take flight, my Lady, and learn to fight for what you want, instead of always mourning what you've lost and constantly lamenting your fate. Instead of always letting others decide for you, take responsibility for your choices.”

Marinette knew perfectly well that she was having an hallucination. Adrien was dead. What was in front of her was only a representation of her own fear. The fear of facing her failures, the fear of facing her past, and even... the fear of happiness. Fear of moving forward.

“I won't run away anymore, Adrien... I promise you...”

The blond smiled, and like a vapor, the ghost disappeared completely, leaving the bluenette completely alone in the middle of the snow that covered the mountain, where the Temple of the Miraculous was built.

Once she was sure she was alone, the young woman closed her eyes. She concentrated on one power specifically. The power of temporal control that belonged to Fluff. Her seal began to burn horribly.

That was the warning.

What she was about to do was forbidden and the Kwamis were trying to stop her.

“Burrow!”

A gate opened in front of her.

Marinette entered it.

Once inside, the bluenette began to observe every magic screen in her burrow. It was necessary to understand the whole sequence of events that had led to the tragedy in which Dick had been plunged by her fault. It was with relief that she learned that it was not Dick who had killed Blockbuster (this guy had many enemies and a young woman in a spider's uniform did it). Nevertheless... the event that followed iced her blood.

Nightwing had been... by one of the assassins of the Court of Owls...

That's why no one told her anything, and why she had been kept away for so long... Everyone was afraid of her reaction when she learned the truth.

The Guardian swore to herself that this damned Court would suffer greatly!

A violent pain made her bow suddenly forward. She held her flank and clenched her teeth. Damn it... It hurt like hell... The bluenette knew it, her time was limited. The Kwamis were going to do everything so that she wouldn't brave the ban again. These poor creatures really deserved a better guardian than her. 

However. Her decision was made.

**She will endure the pain for him.**

Now that she had all the pieces in hand, she would be able to change the course of events. However, it was impossible for her to change everything. She was going to have to choose with extreme precision which events could be changed and which could not.

The bluenette then saw several alternative realities, including one in which she had never encountered Nightwing. Her heart tightened when she saw that the vigilant had a girlfriend. The splendid young redheaded woman must have been the famous "Oracle". Looking at her story, the Guardian must have realized that this Barbara Gordon was a wonderful woman, very intelligent and an excellent fighter.

This woman... She could heal Dick's heart.

Alas, she couldn't avoid her meeting with Nightwing, it will require too much energy from her. But in her state, if she "had fun" trying to alter time without completing the process, the whole universe would be in danger of collapsing.

The result wasn't worth the risk.

Saving Blockbuster wouldn't make much of a difference. This guy was definitely a pain in the ass. Making him disappear would be a solution. The problem was that this vermin was necessary for Nightwing to become more mature... Because yeah, this aspect had to be taken into account as well. Covering up the vigilante would serve no purpose, some trials, no matter how hard they were, would forge a man's character.

The pain was beginning to become unbearable. Blood was running down her leg. Her clothes were soaked with blood.

Marinette chose to change only two events:

1/ Avoid Amy's death.

2/ Prevent the building where Dick lived and the circus from exploding.

The young woman concentrated. She joined her two hands.

_"I summon the power of the Miraculous. Creation, Destruction, Transmission, Protection, Illusion, Submission, Emotion, Multiplication, Teleportation, Intuition, Jubilation, Evolution, Perfection, Determination, Abnegation, Rebellion, Passion, Innovation, Fraternization"._

A magic circle appeared under her feet. It was in the shape of a Lotus, the emblem of the Guardians. Marinette felt like a strong heat. When she opened her eyes, she could see that she was now wearing a suit with characteristics of all miraculous. Her hair had turned white and was styled in a very long braid. She had completely transparent wings.

She had become the Miraculous Goddess.

Marinette began to completely rewrite the two events she had chosen.

For the first event, Amy's death, Marinette simply made the shooter miss his target. She could have stopped the shooter completely, however, leaving him alive would later allow Batman, Nightwing, and Robin to trace the events all the way back to the Court of Owls.

For the second event, the destruction of the circus, the young woman neutralized the villain before he did any damage. To do so, she used the capacity of invisibility provided by the enchantment of Daizzi, the Kwami of the Pig. Then thanks to the dragon's lightning, she made the guy lose consciousness. She then called the police. Unlike the first time, the show was interrupted by the arrival of the police and not because of the explosion.

For the building, the bluenette teleported herself thirty minutes before the explosion, then caused the fire alarms to go off. She used her ability to control flames to create a fire on the roof of the building. The residents rushed outside. Marinette made sure that the firefighters were hindered by traffic by taking control of the drivers. The building exploded, surprising everyone on the spot. In the distance, she saw Nightwing approaching the building at full speed.

The young woman smiled.

She could have chosen to prevent the explosion, but... Dick really had to learn how to hide his identity better. Perhaps fear would be enough to make him think.

The pain had now become unbearable. Marinette would soon pass out. The young woman teleported herself into the café and found herself face to face with her doppelganger. In less than a minute, the place she was in would explode. The other Marinette looked at her first in shock.

Then smiled.

“I see... So you're the one who is disrupting the flow of time.”

“Yes. I am you and you are me.”

“Ahaha... I'm talking to myself... I sincerely thought I had seen everything.”

“…”

“Why did I choose to use the _Miraculous Fusion_?”

“For Dick.”

The smile of the Marinette of the past widens.

“Why does that not surprise me?”

The Marinette of the "future" suddenly collapsed. She started spitting blood. The Marinette of the "present" rushed at her. As soon as she touched her, the two Marinettes merged and became one person. Her body shook uncontrollably. She could feel cold sweats. Even so, the bluenette gathered her last strength to create a shield.

Then suddenly, there was an explosion.

Being completely exhausted, her shield disappeared. She was in the middle of the flames, unable to move.

It was ironic, really.

Dying burned alive.

Exactly like her father a few years earlier.

It was a punishment fit for her.

The punishment she deserved for failing her duty all those years.

In her mind, the images of her meeting with Dick were looped over and over.

_I have done my best to make you happy... Even if it means I have to erase myself from your life..._

A smile formed on her lips as everything fell apart on her. Only, her body was so sore, that nothing affected her anymore. It was simple, she no longer felt anything.

Her vision grew darker.

_I love you Dick..._

-XxxX-

Dick felt like he was living in a nightmare.

When he saw his building explode, the young man thought he had lost everything. Only, to his relief, everyone was outside the building. And they all seemed extremely confused...

So has he.

The building had exploded a few minutes after he left the place. Logically, no one should have had time to get out. No one seemed to understand what had just happened...

So how?

The police quickly arrived on the field.

Nightwing then realized that Margot Marceau, one of the sisters of the Double Dare duo was in the area. He threw himself on her to ask for explanations. She simply told him that she had to blow up the building that had just exploded or her twin sister would be killed. It was a man calling himself "Talon" who ordered her to do so. Then the woman made a comment while smiling sarcastically.

“Are you really sure it's a good idea to be with me handsome? This building was not the only one on the Big Boss's list.”

The young man's heart missed a beat.

_Marinette!_

He left Margot on the spot after tying her up tightly. His motorcycle had been caught in the explosion; the only option left to him was to run. The café was about ten minutes’ walk from his building. 

Nightwing was desperately jumping from roof to roof.

_Not her... Not her... Not her... Please... Anything but her._

**BOOOOOOOMMMMMM**!

When the vigilant arrived in front of the building, it was completely on fire. He saw how neighbors were trying to calm the flames by throwing water.

Dick at that moment didn't think, he rushed into the blaze.

His heart was pounding.

The roof of the small building had collapsed. The room had disappeared, in the middle of it lay debris from the roof.

“MARINETTE!”

The young man was coughing because of the smoke, the heat was unbearable.

_No... No... No... No!_

“MARINETTE CAN YOU HEAR ME?!”

He began to search among the debris while coughing.

“MARINETTE!”

Nightwing coughed harder. At that moment, nothing mattered to him anymore.

Finally, he saw a hand in the middle of the debris in the room.

The young vigilant rushed at it.

It was definitely Marinette.

The young vigilant heard a creaking sound, the rest of the roof that was still standing was about to collapse on top of him. He didn't care about dying, the only thing he cared about was finding his girlfriend.

He coughed harder, but this time at least he had Mari in his arms. The young woman had a piece of wood stuck in her abdomen. She had lost a lot of blood. Her face was abnormally pale. His grip tightened on her body.

Nightwing had to get out of there somehow.

Unfortunately, the rest of the roof began to collapse. Dick saw it but made no movement to escape. If he did, he would have to give up protecting Marinette. And that was not an option. So, he held the young woman firmly against him and prepared to withstand the impact.

**BAAAAM!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- As regards the powers cited:  
>  Creation (Tikki)  
>  Destruction (Plagg)  
>  Transmission (Nooru)  
>  Protection (Wayzz)  
>  Illusion (Trixx)  
>  Submission (Pollen)  
>  Emotion (Duusu)  
>  Multiplication (Mullo)  
>  Teleportation (Kaalki)  
>  Intuition (Sass)  
>  Jubilation (Xuppu)  
>  Evolution (Fluff)  
>  Perfection (Long)
> 
> Determination (Orikko, rooster Kwami, fire power)
> 
> Rebellion (Stompp, Kwami Ox, power: earthquake, can cause earthquakes)
> 
> Fraternization (Roaar, tiger Kwami, power: ultrasound)
> 
> Passion (Barkk, dog Kwami, power: courage, can give courage and hope to people.
> 
> Abnegation (Daizzi, pig Kwami, power: Enchantment, produces scents that compel people to do something. Ex: a rose perfume forces the person to confess),
> 
> Innovation (Ziggy, goat Kwami): Gives life to everything the holder imagines.


End file.
